SwissCognitive Guest Article: Ayman Dayekh – “AI Success in GCC Countries: A Framework for Digital Transformation”

The more DIGITAL a company is, the higher the likelihood that their digital transformation–embedded AI projects will succeed.

In the high-stakes arena of digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as both a herald of innovation and a beacon of caution. The narrative of AI’s potential in driving business transformation is well-documented, yet the road is littered with tales of both remarkable achievements and cautionary tales of ambition meeting reality. The academic discourse around these outcomes has given rise to frameworks aimed at guiding successful AI integration, among which the DIGITAL framework emerges as a beacon for managerial action in the tumultuous seas of digital transformation (Brock & Wangenheim, 2019).

Understanding the DIGITAL Framework

At its core, the DIGITAL framework identifies seven critical areas for managerial action and implementation in AI-driven digital transformation projects:

• Data: The lifeblood of AI, where relevance, accuracy, and timeliness of data dictate the success of analytical problem-solving.
• Intelligence: extends beyond operational efficiency, encapsulating the strategic integration of AI into business models, backed by managerial and technical prowess.
• Grounded: Anchoring projects in reality, ensuring alignment with current business needs, and mapping out a clear implementation roadmap.
• Integral: Digitalizing core business processes and ensuring seamless integration of technology into the organizational fabric.
• Teaming: Identifying and collaborating with strategic partners to bolster the ecosystem and enhance the project’s success.
• Agility: Maintaining organizational flexibility to swiftly adapt to market changes and emerging challenges.
• Leadership: Cultivating a leadership mindset that embraces change, actively supports digital initiatives, and communicates progress effectively.

The GCC Context: A Tale of AI Ambition and Reality

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries[1], often celebrated for their bold strides in AI adoption, present a unique backdrop for the DIGITAL framework’s application. According to the 2023 Government AI Readiness Index, several GCC countries notably outperform global averages[2], signaling a regional commitment to embracing AI (Government AI Readiness Index, 2023). The first ministry of Artificial Intelligence (AI was established in October 2017 in United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to McKinsey research, Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to deliver real value in the Middle East’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—as much as $150 billion (Berglind, Fadia, & Isherwood, 2022).

However, this enthusiasm is not immune to the pitfalls of digital transformation, as evidenced by high-profile AI project challenges. Real-life examples, such as the ambitious yet ultimately recalibrated AI initiatives in projects across the region, highlight the critical need for a structured approach to AI integration. These examples underscore the importance of not just ambition but strategic, well-grounded planning in leveraging AI’s potential.

Evolving the DIGITAL Framework for the GCC

Within the dynamic and diverse context of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, both existing elements of the DIGITAL framework and additional considerations assume enhanced significance due to the unique cultural, economic, and technological landscapes of the region.

Let’s explore some of these elements:

1. Data sovereignty and localization are crucial in the GCC due to stringent data protection regulations and the emphasis on national security. Ensuring data is stored and processed within national borders aligns with regulatory requirements and builds trust in digital systems.
2. The integration of cultural intelligence into AI systems is vital to ensure that technology solutions are culturally appropriate and sensitive. This is particularly important in a region with deep cultural and religious roots, ensuring technology adoption is smooth and respectful of local norms.
3. Projects need to be grounded in the economic and social realities of the GCC, where there is a strong push towards diversification away from oil-dependency. This means AI and digital projects should support broader national visions, which focus on sustainable development, innovation, and knowledge-based economies.
4. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) gain enhanced significance in the GCC, where the government often plays a pivotal role in economic initiatives. Collaboration between the public and private sectors can accelerate the adoption of AI and digital transformation, leveraging the strengths of both to achieve national development goals.
5. Incorporating Islamic ethical considerations into AI development and deployment is significant for the GCC. Ensuring that AI applications comply with Islamic ethical standards can enhance societal acceptance and support.
6. The GCC is home to a diverse population, including a significant number of expatriates. AI and digital solutions must be designed to cater to a wide range of cultural backgrounds and languages, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.
7. As AI and automation change job landscapes, focusing on education, reskilling, and upskilling programs becomes crucial. The GCC’s investment in education technology (EdTech) and vocational training can support a smooth transition for the workforce into the digital economy.

In summary, the unique context of the GCC not only amplifies certain aspects of the DIGITAL framework but also introduces additional considerations that are critical for the successful implementation of AI projects in the context of Digital Transformation. These adaptations reflect the region’s ambitions, cultural values, and socio-economic goals, ensuring that digital transformation efforts are both effective and aligned with the GCC’s vision for the future.

Conclusion: The Imperative for an Adapted Framework

The necessity of a tailored approach to AI integration in the GCC is highlighted by the region’s ambitious AI roadmap juxtaposed against the global backdrop of AI project outcomes. The disparity between the envisioned impact of AI projects and their actual realization calls for a structured framework that not only accommodates but thrives on the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the GCC market.

This discourse invites practitionairs, professionals, and scholars alike to engage in a critical evaluation of the DIGITAL framework’s applicability in the GCC. Through academic rigor and professional insights, this research aims to contribute a contextualized adaptation of the framework, ensuring that the GCC’s AI ambitions are met with success.

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Your experience, insights, and participation in this survey will not only enrich our understanding but also contribute to shaping a framework that is robust, adaptable, and reflective of the GCC’s unique digital landscape.

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Your expertise can help guide the future of AI integration in the GCC, ensuring that the region’s AI initiatives in the context of digital transformation are both ambitious and achievable.

References

Brock, J. K.-U., & Wangenheim, F. v. (2019). Demystifying AI: What Digital Transformation Leaders Can Teach You about Realistic Artificial Intelligence. California Management Review, 61(4), 110-134.

(2023). Government AI Readiness Index. Oxford Insights.

Berglind, N., Fadia, A., & Isherwood, T. (2022). The potential value of AI—and how governments could look to capture it. McKinsey.

[1] The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

[2] UAE (18), KSA (29), Qatar (34), Oman (50), Bahrain (56), Kuwait (69)

About the Author:

Ayman Dayekh is the founder and Managing Director of AZRE Consulting LLC and Board President of American Institute of Business & Technology (AIBT). With 20+ years of experience across multiple industries, he has experienced tremendous success, and gained some valuable skills and experiences along the way. Throughout those years, Ayman was accountable for delivering a wide portfolio of projects in government, real estate, freight management, education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and banking.

Der Beitrag AI Success in GCC Countries: A Framework for Digital Transformation erschien zuerst auf SwissCognitive | AI Ventures, Advisory & Research.

Written by Solveig Helland, Senior Full Stack Engineer, Data Scientist and GPT-3 – “The AI Trajectory 2023+ Virtual Conference Wrap-up”

“AI – Fork in the Road. Stay in the Race or Change the Game” fireside chat with Andrea Latino, Global Digital Transformation & Innovation Leader, and Innovation & Digital Growth Manager, Nestlé and Dalith Steiger, Co-Founder of SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

During our discussions, we heard some of the most important challenges that we need to solve in order to shift towards people-literate technology. Challenges include the need for labelled and reliable datasets, fragmented data within organisations, and a lack of expertise in developing and training algorithms. One way to address some of these challenges is to improve data literacy. This means educating individuals, particularly c-level executives, on how to become more data literate. By addressing these challenges, we can unlock the full potential of AI and use it to benefit society.

“Shifting from Technology-Literate People to People-Literate Technology” panel discussion: Jeff Winter, Industry Executive, Manufacturing, Microsoft | Thuraya Al-Harthi, Innovation & Emerging Technology Senior Specialist | Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology, Muscat, Oman | Kathrin Kind-Trueller, Leader in Autonomous Vehicles, Senior Research Scientist in AI for Vehicle Control, Volkswagen | Patrick Bangert, VP of Artificial Intelligence, Samsung SDS | Luca Baldassarre, Lead Data Scientist, Advanced Analytics Center of Expertise, Director, SwissRE

We discussed the media’s role in shaping the future of AI and how AI can help reporters and other media professionals. We also heard the importance of the public challenging business and world leaders to make the world a better place.

“Eat or Heat. Renewed Expectations on AI” fireside chat with Ben Bloch, Journalist, Technology Strategist, Serial Entrepreneur & Senior Strategy Executive, Founder & CEO, Bloch Holdings Inc. and Dalith Steiger, Co-Founder of SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

The ethical and legal implications of generative AI were another important topic for discussion. A key focus was on bias in AI, and how to manage it when AI is becoming more prevalent in our daily lives. We should switch our focus on what is missing, whether it be data or diverse perspectives. By addressing these gaps, we can create AI systems that are more inclusive, fair, and beneficial for society.

“2022 Oiled #AI. Get Ready 2023” panel discussion: Thomas Zweifel, Award-Winning Author: “Strategy-In-Action”, “Leadership in 100 Days”, Board Member, Paramount Business Jets | Anna Zeiter, Shaping the Future of Digital Economy and New Value Creation Project, WEF Associate General Counsel – Chief Privacy Officer & Data Protection Officer, Ebay | Lisa Palmer, Chief AI Strategist, AI Leaders, AI & Data Science Advisor, Proof Analytics | Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem Al Zaabi, Artificial Intelligence Expert and Cybersecurity Director, Government of Abu Dhabi | Jens Stapelfeldt, Sr. BDM Data Center AI & Compute Markets, AMD, AI and Machine Learning Thought-Leader and Expert

We also heard that employers and employees need to adopt a learning mentality in order to stay relevant in the face of AI-modified jobs.

“AI: Renewed Roles and Functions” fireside chat with Natalie Erdmann, Chief Marketing Officer, deepc, AI Thought-Leader in Healthcare, Kim Scofield, Founder and CEO, Space42, Blond Bad Wolf, Global Ambassador, Women in Cybersecurity and Dalith Steiger, Co-Founder of SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

The public perception of AI is often limited, with most people having little knowledge about what it is and how it works. In order to improve public understanding of AI, it is important to educate people about its opportunities and limitations. This does not have to be expensive and is essential for helping people understand the role of AI in their lives and its potential benefits.

“50% CO2 Reduction, 2 Billion More People, Manifesto for the Meaningful Use of AI” panel discussion: Avrohom Gottheil, Tech Influencer, Founder and CEO, #AskTheCEO Media | Leila Toplic, Head of Emerging Technologies Initiative, NetHope | Hubert Halopé, Platform Curator, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, World Economic Forum | Sameer Pujari, Vice Chair AI 4 health WHO ITU Focus Group, Digital Health & Innovation, World Health Organization | Gregg Barrett, AI Compute & Climate Expert Group, OECD.AI, Advisory Council, AI Africa Consortium, Chief Executive Officer, Cirrus

AI can be a powerful tool in addressing the climate crisis, particularly in the area of climate adaptation. One of the key ways it can help is by providing actionable insights through forecasting and modelling. For example, AI can be used to predict and mitigate the risk of wildfires, allowing us to better allocate resources and respond to potential threats. Additionally, AI can be used to optimize resource use and improve decision-making, helping us to reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate the effects of climate change. Overall, AI has the potential to play a significant role in helping us address the climate crisis and build a more sustainable future.

“Homo Nuovas = Homo Sapiens + AI” fireside chat with Sylvain Levy, Collector, DSL Collection and Dalith Steiger, Co-Founder of SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” To play with your creative mind, imagine something: a Painter’s Palette. Now put the 3 primary colors on it: Red, Yellow, and Blue. Now add one more thing. AI. We arrived at a form of art, where the sky is the limit.

If you missed our AI Trajectory virtual conference, here you can find the video recording:

Huge thank you to all our great speakers on our virtual stage!

Der Beitrag The AI Trajectory 2023+ Virtual Conference Wrap-up erschien zuerst auf SwissCognitive | AI Ventures, Advisory & Research.

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Conference Speakers

Patrick Bangert

VP of Artificial Intelligence
Samsung SDS

Hubert Halopé

Platform Curator, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
World Economic Forum

Anna Zeiter

Shaping the Future of Digital Economy and New Value Creation Project, WEF Associate General Counsel – Chief Privacy Officer & Data Protection Officer, Ebay

Avrohom Gottheil

Tech Influencer
Founder and CEO, #AskTheCEO Media

Lisa Palmer

Chief AI Strategist, AI Leaders
AI & Data Science Advisor, Proof Analytics

Thomas Zweifel

Award-Winning Author: “Strategy-In-Action” | “Leadership in 100 Days”
Board Member, Paramount Business Jets

Jeff Winter

Industry Executive, Manufacturing
Microsoft

Andrea Latino

WEF Global Shaper & Davos 50 | Forbes Under 30 | Digital Transformation & Innovation |Strategy Innovation & Digital Growth, Nestlé

Thuraya Al-Harthi

Innovation & Emerging Technology Senior Specialist
Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology, Muscat Oman

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem Al Zaabi

Artificial Intelligence Expert and Cybersecurity Director
Government of Abu Dhabi

Leila Toplic

Head of Emerging Technologies Initiative
NetHope

Sylvain Levy

Collector, DSL Collection

Natalie Erdmann

Chief Marketing Officer, deepc
AI Thought-Leader in Healthcare

Ben Bloch

Jounalist | Technology Strategist | Serial Entrepreneur & Senior Strategy Executive
Founder & CEO, Bloch Holdings Inc.

Kathrin Kind-Trueller

Senior Research Scientist in AI for Vehicle Control, Volkswagen
Leader in Autonomous Vehicles

Kim Scofield

Founder and CEO, Space42 | Blond Bad Wolf
Global Ambassador, Women in Cybersecurity

Luca Baldassarre

Lead Data Scientist, Advanced Analytics Center of Expertise, Director
SwissRE

Sameer Puraji

Vice Chair AI 4 health WHO ITU Focus Group, Digital Health & Innovation
World Health Organization

Jens Stapelfeldt

Sr. BDM Data Center AI & Compute Markets, AMD
AI and Machine Learning Thought-Leader and Expert

Gregg Barrett

AI Compute & Climate Expert Group, OECD.AI | Advisory Council, AI Africa Consortium
Chief Executive Officer, Cirrus

Matt Hervey

AI and IP Expert |Co-Editor of The Law of Artificial Intelligence
Partner, Gowling WLG

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Conference Host & Facilitator

Dalith Steiger

Co-Founder, Global AI Thought Leader
SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

Andy Fitze

Co-Founder, Digital Transformation Strategist
SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

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Conference Team

Livia Spiesz

External Communications & Global Business Relations Lead
SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

Bianka Németvölgyi

Social Media Manager
SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network

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Virtual Conference

These virtual conferences are regular worldwide-reaching online events bringing dozens of global AI leaders and experts together to share their views, experiences and expertise in the development of AI to the benefit of business and society. These 3 hour-long events are transparently addressing the development of cognitive technologies – including successes and challenges – while reaching and connecting a global online community of over ½ million followers.

All the sessions and formats are strictly content-driven with a non-sales approach, allowing focused and open discussions with no BS just content. These events provide not only a platform to brainstorm and network but also to position experts, leaders, organisations, research developments, the current status and future outlook of AI. 

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Media Partner

 

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Der Beitrag The AI Trajectory 2023+ erschien zuerst auf SwissCognitive | AI Ventures, Advisory & Research.