Saudi authority is first in world to achieve ISO’s new AI management system certification
The standard, introduced in December last year, is the first of its kind for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems
It provides guidance on addressing the challenges posed by AI, such as ethical values, transparency and continuous learning
Updated 12 July 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence has become the first organization in the world to achieve the International Standards Organization’s 42001:2023 certification for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The ISO standard, which was introduced in December last year, is the first of its kind for AIMS. It provides guidance on addressing the challenges posed by AI, such as ethical values, transparency and continuous learning.
It also defines a systematic approach for managing risks and opportunities, and for achieving a balance between innovation and governance in organizations that adopt AI technologies in their work.
Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, the president of SDAIA, said he was proud of the accreditation and that it represents recognition of the implementation by the authority of appropriate standards and practices related to management of AI, and reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing reputation for excellence in the field of data and AI.
He added that the authority’s progress and successes would not be possible without the continuing support of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is chairman of its board of directors.
This support enables the organization to serve as a national reference point for data and AI, he added, and to regulate, develop and manage the implementation of these technologies in ways that ensure they are properly governed and position Saudi Arabia as a leader in the field.
Saudi Ministry signs cooperation agreement with Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs
Updated 01 August 2024
SPA
JEDDAH: The Saudi minister of Islamic affairs, dawah and guidance, Abdullatif Al-Asheikh, signed an agreement with Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Jeddah on Thursday, with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the nations in efforts to promote the understanding of Islam and its message of tolerance, and raising cultural awareness among Muslims.
The deal will include training for Nigerian imams and other religious figures in topics such as preaching and teaching of the Arabic language. It also covers collaboration in affairs relating to mosques, including construction, maintenance and restoration, and the training and development of mosque staff.
The two countries will share their experience and expertise in online preaching and work together to counteract websites that incite violence and extremism, or otherwise misrepresent Islam.
Nigeria was represented at the signing of the agreement by Sheikh Al-Hajj Yahaya Abubakar, a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and officials from both countries were also present.
Fish farming’s vital food security role in Saudi Arabia highlighted
Updated 01 August 2024
SPA
JEDDAH: Fish farming is vital for the Kingdom’s food security needs, according to Riyadh Al-Fageeh, general director of the National Center of Fisheries.
Al-Fageeh said there are significant investment opportunities in the industry, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to boost agriculture, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
He said the center was formed four decades ago in Jeddah, and subsequently developed partnerships with a number of international organizations.
The center has undertaken several projects in collaboration with various universities and other entities, including the use of renewable energy for agriculture.
The center has supported the aquaculture sector with over 3 million saltwater tilapia larvae, he said.
In addition, it has issued more than 80 licenses for aquaculture projects in Makkah, which includes 18 in the first half of 2024, Al-Fageeh added.
ABHA: The deputy emir of Asir, Prince Khalid bin Sattam, said that it is important to harness all local capabilities to ensure that tourists and other visitors to the region are able to fully enjoy all the attractions and services it has to offer.
He was speaking during his weekly meeting at the Royal Hall in Al-Khalidiya, Abha, that he hosts to discuss with residents and officials the issues and challenges facing the region and its people. Also present were representatives of government departments and the military, tourist guides, students from the College of Tourism and Hospitality at King Khalid University, and tourism operators.
The prince reviewed the efforts being made by government agencies, educators and the media to promote the benefits of tourist destinations and experiences in the region, including the diverse terrain and moderate climate. He highlighted ways in which the sector is developing in line with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification, as part of a strategy to position the region as a global tourism destination all year round.
How an AI moderator aims to eliminate toxicity and cheating in online multiplayer gaming
Minerva is a specialized AI technology that moderates text, audio and behavioral data to detect toxicity on FACEIT’s gaming platform
Players caught harassing, cheating, or undermining account integrity can be temporarily banned or face a multi-year suspension
Updated 6 min 20 sec ago
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: As the world’s leading online platform for competitive gaming, FACEIT is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to ensure a safe environment for its global — and growing — 25 million user community.
The FACEIT platform uses Minerva, a specialized AI technology that can understand in-game actions and other non-text chat behaviors, identifying trends that suggest poor sportsmanship beyond explicit statements.
Minerva has documented more than 4 billion messages on the esports platform and has implemented more than 5 million corrective actions to improve player interactions and police bad behaviors.
FACEIT is the digital platform offering of ESL FACEIT Group, a gaming and esports company procured for $1.5 billion in 2022 by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, which is 100 percent owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund.
The industry as a whole is already immensely profitable. In 2023, the global online gaming market generated approximately $26.14 billion in revenue, which translates to 9.8 percent growth compared to the previous year, according to Statista.
Saudi Arabia is considered a key market. A report by the US-Saudi Business Council found that more than 68 percent of young Saudi Arabia citizens and 58 percent of the population as a whole self-identify as gamers
Opinion
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According to Maria Laura “Lulu” Scuri, vice president of labs and community integrity at ESL FACEIT Group, more than 80 percent of gamers have reported experiencing harassment in a multiplayer game, while 28 percent stopped playing their favorite games because of toxic behaviors.
“Toxicity and harassment take many shapes and forms, ranging from in-game actions (griefing and sabotaging teammates) to verbal and text abuse (mic spam, insults and cursing) to targeted attacks based on a player’s identity (sexism, racism and more),” Scuri told Arab News.
“Negative in-game interactions make it more difficult for individuals to enjoy their play time, forge meaningful relationships with others, and connect with a community that, overall, tends to provide a positive experience.”
Maria Laura “Lulu” Scuri.
Scuri says AI tools like Minerva help human moderators make quicker and better decisions to fight toxicity at a scale that would not otherwise be possible.
“These systems don’t only protect users but encourage positive play, be it by acknowledging players’ impact on improving their community and the FACEIT platform.”
Scuri says the system is “almost human” in its judgment and performance “thanks to the wealth of data Minerva has analyzed.”
To ensure a safe environment, Minerva provides anti-cheat and chat moderation. (Screen grab from FACEIT platform)
“The AI has a human-like understanding of interpersonal interactions. For example, not every curse word or piece of slang is malicious,” she said.
“Instead, Minerva looks for patterns in behavior and the full context of text and voice messages to determine if behavior is worthy of a flag. As a whole, this work allows FACEIT to not only efficiently identify bad behavior, but do so at a scale that meaningfully shapes how players experience their favorite games.”
Popular multiplayer first-person shooter game “Counter-Strike 2” was released on the FACEIT platform in September last year, allowing players to join communities. In addition, they can join or host matches on private servers, participate in community tournaments, or qualify for the FACEIT Pro League.
DID YOUKNOW?
• FACEIT is an esports platform founded in 2012 that administers leagues for games including ‘Counter-Strike 2,’ ‘League of Legends,’ ‘Rocket League,’ and ‘Rainbow Six Siege.’
• In 2022, FACEIT and esports company ESL were acquired by Savvy Games Group, a holding company owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, for a combined $1.5 billion.
• FACEIT’s Minerva engine is a specialized AI technology that analyzes and moderates text, audio and the behavioral data of players to detect toxicity and other abuses.
To ensure a safe environment, Minerva provides anti-cheat and chat moderation.
“Each game title and community is different, and moderation needs to reflect that,” said Scuri. “Whether it be adjusting to the ways players communicate with each other — text, voice and more — or the in-game actions that correlate with bad behavior, context is key.
“Instead of just punishing bad behavior, FACEIT is taking steps to reward positive play, encouraging the players who make a strong, positive impact in-game to continue to set an example for their community.”
(Screen grab from FACEIT platform)
There are, however, several punishments that Minerva can dish out if users act out.
Players who violate FACEIT’s code of conduct may be temporarily banned, face multi-year suspension from participating in games or accessing their accounts, or receive a warning. Meanwhile, “cooldowns” are time-based restrictions placed on accounts for smaller infractions.
Ban lengths vary based on the severity of the offense and the number of times a user has repeated the behavior. These offenses fall into three main categories: toxicity, subversion of account integrity, and cheating.
INNUMBERS
• $26.14 billion Global online gaming revenue in 2023. Source: Statista
• $32.56 billion Projected global online gaming revenue in 2027.
• 1.13 billion Number of online gamers worldwide.
Toxicity includes acts of harassment, encouraging self-harm, spamming, posting offensive content, griefing, ghosting, blocking, team flashing or intentional team damage, abuse of the platform’s reporting system, and abuse of its live admins.
Violations of account integrity can include account sharing, ban evasion, boosting or ladder abuse, multi-accounting, and smurfing or intentional de-ranking.
If a player is caught cheating, they can be banned for two years. Any user caught evading a cheating ban on a new account will have it permanently banned and deleted. The cheating ban of the original account will also be extended for another two years.
It is hoped that the automatic detection of such violations by Minerva will make competitive gaming much fairer, match players more effectively, and ensure the online environment is both safe and enjoyable.
Shaqraa Tohari, aged 105, shatters literacy barriers in Jazan
Mother of nine is just one of more than 800 elderly people in the region to take part in literacy campaign
Learning to read and write a key pillar of the government’s efforts to empower elderly citizens
Updated 01 August 2024
Tareq Al-Thaqafi
MAKKAH: Over 800 elderly men and women, including a 105-year-old woman, participated in the literacy campaign held this summer by the Saudi Ministry of Education, represented by the General Administration of Education, in Jazan.
Around 233 male and 599 female students enrolled in 28 educational centers across the region in Samtah, Ahad al-Masarihah, Al-Harth and Al-Aridhah governorates.
Several educational, cultural, social and health activities and events were held in partnership with government agencies and the nonprofit sector.
These activities aim to develop the beneficiaries’ life skills and ensure they achieve their educational and cultural goals to guarantee their equitable and comprehensive quality education.
One such student was 105-year-old Shaqraa Tohari, who enrolled herself at Al-Dabra educational center in Ahad Al-Masarihah, reflecting her strong desire to learn reading and writing.
She said she felt elated standing next to the board to write the alphabet, or sitting on her seat to write and read numbers, or read Surah Al-Fatiha or short surahs from the Holy Qur’an, all the while enjoying the support of her teachers.
“I was passionate about learning how to read and write, even if I am past 100 years old. It is a dream I have waited to realize for many years and decades,” she said.
“Despite all the challenges and the fact of me getting older, this dream has become a reality. It is a golden opportunity that I could have never missed,” said Tohari.
The centurion revealed that she spent her life raising her five sons and four daughters. She educated them and dedicated her life for them.
However, in the depth of her soul, she always wished to be able to teach them and help them do their homework.
“The Kingdom’s interest in providing education for all and eradicating illiteracy helped me achieve my dream. It motivated me and the women from my village to move forward in terms of learning and catch up with what we have missed.
“Education and learning are everyone’s dream, aimed towards eradicating ignorance and illiteracy.
“(We) have been enriching their knowledge with simple science facts provided by their teacher in the elderly education center,” she added.
Tohari’s son, Ibrahim, said that his mother was extremely happy to enrol in the adult education program, as it represents the dream she has been waiting to achieve for many decades, believing in her right to learn, write and read, like other women.
Ibrahim’s 35-year-old sister, Nourah, drives their mother to the educational center every afternoon, and her other children help her with school work.
On successfully completing her first year, Ibrahim said, the women of the village were extremely proud of his mother.
Ibrahim stated that what distinguishes his mother is her keenness and determination to complete her studies and learn new subjects.
