Investment in reskilling will create new jobs as AI takes over, Global AI Summit hears

CEO of Saudi Telecom Group, Nasser Sulaiman Al-Nasser, discusses the potential of AI at the Global AI Summit in Riyadh. (Screen grab)

• AI is expected to displace 73 million jobs globally by 2022
• AI could also create 130 million new jobs that require new skills

DUBAI: Investing in reskilling workers will help create new jobs as Artificial Intelligence takes over, The Global AI Summit “AI for the Good of Humanity” in Riyadh heard on Thursday. 
CEO of Saudi Telecom Group, Nasser Sulaiman Al-Nasser, believes that although AI is expected to displace 73 million jobs globally by 2022, with investment of reskilling employees, it could create 130 million jobs. 
“Our government (Saudi Arabia) is prioritizing and investing in education,” Nasser said, explaining that this is an important part of reskilling individuals in preparation for the use of AI in industries. 
Nasser told an audience at the summit that AI will replace tedious jobs but in turn, will create new jobs that require new skills. 
“We have to look at AI from two perspectives; from the enablement part and from the potential (it has),” he said, explaining that it is more than just a technology, but rather an eco-system. 
One of the pillars of the AI ecosystem, Nasser said, is partnerships with tech providers and industries. 
Digital Transformation Adviser, Anett Numa, said during the summit that the public sector and the government need to be leading in the development of AI with the help of academia and the private sector for efficient results.