RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has surpassed its goal of training 1 million people in AI through a new initiative that embeds ethical use and safety standards into national skilling programs Speaking at the 4th UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in Riyadh, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, CEO of the Saudi Data and AI Authority’s capacity building sector, said: “We launched SAMAI (One Million Saudis in AI initiative) last year to train 1 million in AI, raise awareness and provide them with the knowledge and skills to use AI in life and in their work. “We trained more than that number and an important part of the training focused on ethical AI, responsible use and data preservation,” he told Arab News. The UNESCO forum is co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, represented by the SDAIA and the International Centre for AI Research and Ethics.  Al-Ghamdi said that the forum had brought together more than 25 ministers from around the world, as well as global leaders and tech companies under the umbrella of UNESCO to shape the future of AI safety and responsible use. SAMAI was part of a broader push to invest in capability building across national sectors and entities, enabling them to develop the skills needed to adopt AI safely and effectively, he said. “In SAMAI we provided training with knowledge on what data to show and what tools to use safely.” Al-Ghamdi said that ethical AI was positioned as a core element across the SDAIA’s training programs and frameworks, rather than a standalone topic. The authority announced national frameworks and curricula for AI in January as part of efforts to align education pathways with national needs. Additional capacity building frameworks were also announced at the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building, aimed at professionals, educators and training programs to support wider adoption across the economy, Al-Ghamdi said. “For example, for the developers it includes training the right model on the right data, avoiding bias, and not using AI for fraud or any violence,” he said. “It includes respecting the data privacy of people and organizations and complying with data laws within the country and within the world.” The pace of AI advancement had raised the stakes globally, making governance and ethics central to discussions about safe deployment and public trust, he said. “The ethics of AI comes in the heart of all activities of capability building in SDAIA. We believe the ethical use and the safety of AI are a priority for us.”