DUBAI: It is sometimes said that the desire for innovation often outweighs the urgency to establish robust regulations, allowing artificial intelligence technologies to evolve unchecked. As a result, society may face unforeseen challenges and unintended consequences. On the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, Ian Khan — a technology futurist, author, and documentary filmmaker — told Arab News that regulations surrounding AI are still in their infancy. Khan said: “Saudi Arabia is definitely one of the countries that is leading the region in its AI enablement and regulation, with an entire government department dedicated to doing that. “The SADAIA (Saudi Data and AI Authority), the agency in charge of AI within Saudi Arabia, has done an incredible amount of work, and we captured it in our documentary called ‘The Digital Kingdom,’ which focuses on the fast-paced evolution of technology in the country.” Governments, tech companies, and researchers must collaborate and prioritize the development of comprehensive regulations that can keep pace with the rapid growth of AI technologies. Khan added: “Not every government in the world has an AI authority that manages its aid decisions. So, definitely, Saudi is at the forefront of making that happen. “If you look at the Western countries, I dont see an AI department or an AI side of government, so you really have to give kudos to Saudi as a pioneer and leader in what it does.” Khan said that the Kingdom is playing a big part regarding development, such as using AI to enhance the future of government services and reduce bureaucracy. He said that “AI can help automate many decision-making processes, simplifying the complexity behind citizens benefiting from government services.” And in countries where government services are future-focused, and they have really developed, it is all about reducing that friction and making daily life easier for the citizens, he said. Khan added that “government services are complex because they work with the private sector, and the governments responsibility is to reduce the friction between governments and people regarding service delivery.” The COVID-19 pandemic played a huge role by being a big accelerator for many governments worldwide to enable digital services, automation and AI, said Khan. He added: “We need to keep people’s information safe and maintain their privacy, and for that reason Saudi is at the forefront of leading this whole idea of how we create regulations around AI, how we create a whole regulatory framework.” Khan said that all countries have to collaborate to share talent, know-how, and leadership.