KAUST alumnus Grant Hill-Cawthorne, who earned a Ph.D. in pathogen genomics in 2013, is now the director of research at the UK Parliament. Hill-Cawthorne's work at KAUST involved establishing the Pathogen Genomics Laboratory with a focus on mass gatherings like Hajj and their influence on disease spread. He also worked with the Saudi Ministry of Health to study respiratory samples from Hajj pilgrims. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's role in training researchers who go on to influence global health policy and research, particularly in areas relevant to Saudi Arabia's unique context.
Bahrain's parliament is set to discuss and potentially approve the nation's comprehensive National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The strategy aims to integrate AI technologies across various sectors to enhance efficiency and innovation. The parliamentary debate will focus on the strategic implications and the potential impact on Bahrain's digital transformation. Why it matters: This national strategy signals Bahrain's commitment to becoming a regional leader in AI adoption and development.
ParlaMint is a CLARIN ERIC flagship project focused on harmonizing multilingual corpora of parliamentary sessions. The newest version, published in October 2023, covers 26 European parliaments with linguistic annotations and machine translations to English. Maciej Ogrodniczuk, Head of Linguistic Engineering Group at the Institute of Computer Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, presented the project. Why it matters: While focused on European parliaments, the ParlaMint project provides a valuable model and infrastructure for creating comparable Arabic parliamentary corpora, which could enhance Arabic NLP research and political analysis in the Middle East.
Bahrain's Council of Representatives is reviewing a proposal for a unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) artificial intelligence strategy. The proposal aims to foster collaboration and development in the AI sector across GCC member states. It focuses on coordinating efforts to advance AI research, innovation, and adoption in the region. Why it matters: The unified strategy could accelerate AI development and deployment across the GCC, creating new economic opportunities and addressing shared challenges.
Bahrain's Council of Representatives is advocating for a comprehensive national AI strategy to diversify the economy and enhance global competitiveness. MP Lulwa Al Rumaihi emphasized AI's potential to transform industries and create new economic opportunities for Bahrain. The council is urging the government to collaborate with experts and stakeholders to formulate this strategy. Why it matters: A national AI strategy could position Bahrain as a regional leader in AI innovation and adoption.
MBZUAI hosted a delegation from the Commonwealth of Poland, including representatives from the Polish Embassy and Chancellery of the Prime Minister. Discussions covered MBZUAI's objectives, activities, and potential collaborations with Polish entities. The visit included a campus tour and presentation. Why it matters: This engagement indicates MBZUAI's ongoing efforts to build international partnerships and expand its global reach in AI research and education.
A panel discussion hosted by MBZUAI in collaboration with the Manara Center for Coexistence and Dialogue addressed misinformation and its threat to elections. The talk covered the reasons behind the rise of misinformation, citizen perspectives, and the role of social media influencers. Two cases, the Indian general elections of 2024 and the upcoming US presidential elections in November 2024, were used to describe the contours of misinformation. Why it matters: Understanding the dynamics of misinformation, especially through social media influencers, is crucial for safeguarding democratic processes in the region and globally.