Kuwait is eager to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) technology and has launched a sound national strategy to support their ambitious plans.
The Gulf nation has released a unique AI ethics tool to help lead the conversations around technology in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region.
Under the New Kuwait 2035 Vision, the country wants to harness tech innovation, inclusivity, ethics and governance, to establish itself as a leading innovator capable of responsibly safeguarding AI.
The Kuwait Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) published the strategy, which involves a multi-phase plan to embed AI in government, healthcare, education, energy and public safety.
Kuwait Implements Ambitious AI Strategy
A core tenet of Kuwaiti’s strategy is that AI should be efficient. However, it must also be fair, accessible and accountable.
Layali Al-Mansouri, Acting Head of Infrastructure and Operations at CITRA, spoke at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva.
He said AI technology must serve everyone, especially the old, disabled and those with low digital literacy. This inclusivity principle is a permanent fixture in national services like the Kuwait e-government app, Sahel.
Sahel was released to the public in 2021 and has grown from offering 123 services to over 450. The platform caters to 2.8 million Kuwaitis and records over 4.5m transactions monthly.
Services such as Newborn Journey allow Kuwaiti indigenes to register their babies without physically going to a government office.
Sahel for Business, which gives users access to over 200 electronic services, has also brought ease for entrepreneurs as Kuwait continues its digital transformation.
There were a few issues along the way. Non-Kuwaiti residents complained about the language barrier and delays. The English version only launched last year, and many expatriates had to rely on Google Translate.
Kuwait took note, made changes, and doubled down on inclusivity and governance. It launched the AI Ethics Evaluator during the WSIS summit, partnering with the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO).
DCO Secretary General Deemah Al-Yahya described it as an ethical compass that helps AI developers and deployers ascertain potential human rights risks and fine-tune their systems to a world-class standard.
The evaluator’s framework has six risk categories and uses a detailed questionnaire to generate visual risk profiles. These radar charts point to areas with ethical concerns and then suggest solutions.
Its solutions are globally interoperable and available to DCO member states and beyond.
Ethics Tool Could Help Kuwait Capitalise on AI Opportunities
Kuwait’s AI roadmap and contribution to responsible AI governance with tools such as the Ethics Evaluator show a country ready to balance ambition with accountability.
However, there are areas of technology governance that Kuwait has not tapped into, including regulated online gambling, which is a potential goldmine.While legalised gambling is not part of the national AI strategy, Kuwait has indirectly laid the foundations for it.
A water-tight ethical framework and inclusive digital infrastructure creates a solid foundation for regulating complex sectors such as gambling.
Many countries have been using AI to tighten security in the gambling world. It can aid user verification, behavioural risk profiling and responsible gaming analytics.AI has become an essential tool for keeping operators of iGaming platforms in line.
Kuwait, like most of its Middle Eastern neighbours, has taken a hard-line stance on gambling, which is against its religious laws.However, many Arab players regularly visit an online casino in Kuwait to fuel their gaming passion. Theyrun on international laws, which may prompt Kuwait to revisit their stance.
The Ethics Evaluator could protect citizens if Kuwait ever regulates online gambling. With the country hoping to diversify its economy, iGaming isa lucrative opportunity.
Platforms such as Sahel can securely consolidate identity, age verification, responsible access, residency and financial information.
The wise decision would be to establish a central regulatory body that utilises Kuwait’s working AI governance frameworks. It is the next logical step for a country that aims to become a centre for technological advancements, leveraging ethics, infrastructure and cross-sector coordination.
It would also provide the control the industry needs going forward and plug the shadow economies that tend to sprout when there is no regulation.
But for this move to be successful, there has to be a change in government policies. Kuwait must balance cultural, religious and legal concerns with economic and technological opportunities.
Kuwait can create a niche as a nation that encourages tech innovation without compromising its social fabric by building regulations to focus on ethics before profit.