2021-11-29-奥纬咨询-AI_Centre_Of_Excellence_For_Governments_17页_412kb

AI Center of Excellence for Qatar Summary

Core Content

The document explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive economic transformation in Qatar, with a focus on the establishment of an AI Center of Excellence (CoE). It outlines the global and regional context of AI adoption, the current initiatives in Qatar, and the strategic framework required to build a successful and sustainable AI CoE aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Main Points

Global and Regional AI Trends

• AI is rapidly transforming economies and sectors globally, with a projected CAGR of 37.3% for AI services by 2025.
• The GCC has recognized AI's potential and is investing significantly, with a CAGR of 19% in AI spending by 2023.
• Qatar has launched the Qatar Center for Artificial Intelligence (QCAI) and established an AI Committee to coordinate AI efforts across government and align them with national goals.

AI in the Qatari Public Sector

• AI is being used in various sectors to improve productivity, transparency, and service delivery.
• Key applications include:
  • Government-as-a-Service (GaaS): Enhancing citizen and business engagement through automated, fast, and consistent services.
  • Healthcare: Supporting contact-tracing, remote consultations, and preventative medicine.
  • Customs and Trade: Improving fraud detection and cargo clearance through machine learning and image recognition.
  • Labour Market: Bridging the gap between education and job market demands using AI-driven predictive analysis.
  • State Budget: Optimizing spending and fraud detection through advanced analytics and AI.
  • Food Security: Managing local production, trade routes, and national reserves through AI-based decision support tools.

AI Adoption in Qatar

• Qatar is actively adopting AI in both public and private sectors, supported by the Smart Qatar TASMU program and Azure Qatar.
• The CoE is seen as a critical entity to address challenges in AI implementation, such as governance, talent, and data access.

Key Benefits of an AI CoE

• Unified Vision: Aligns AI initiatives with the national agenda and KPIs.
• Centralized Capability Building: Attracts and empowers local and international AI talent.
• Independence and Influence: Operates independently while drawing on private sector and academic expertise.
• Scalable Business Model: Focuses on delivering impactful results and improving processes.
• Talent Pooling: Creates a centralized platform for talent development and recruitment.
• Economical Infrastructure: Leverages pooled resources for efficient and effective AI development.
• Use Case Identification: Supports the discovery and prioritization of AI use cases.
• Legislative Support: Provides a strong mandate for AI adoption and policy development.

International Perspectives

The document references three global case studies to illustrate the potential of AI CoEs:

1. US GSA AI Center of Excellence (2017):

   • Focuses on governance, use-case discovery, and process automation.
   • Enhances government agility and shifts from low-value to high-value work.

2. Singapore National AI Program (AISG, 2017):

   • Aims to build an AI ecosystem through collaboration between research institutions, startups, and companies.
   • Supports AI talent development and innovation in key sectors like health and finance.

3. Kratt Expert Group, Estonia (2018):

   • Aims to make all public services AI-driven.
   • Includes chatbot development, legal changes, and public awareness campaigns.

Five Strategy Pillars for an AI CoE

1. Strategy and Vision: Define a clear, long-term vision aligned with national goals and stakeholder expectations.
2. Services: Provide research, analytics, and training services to support AI adoption and development.
3. Organization and Governance: Establish a structured leadership and technical team with defined roles and governance mechanisms.
4. Technology: Develop and maintain robust infrastructure, including data storage, processing, and visualization tools.
5. Funding and Partnerships: Secure diverse funding sources and build strategic partnerships with the private sector and academia.

Key Challenges

• Governance: Slow implementation and siloed efforts hinder progress.
• Talent: A shortage of local AI expertise and high competition from the private sector.
• Data Access: Limited availability and sharing of data across sectors and stakeholders.
• Integration: Ensuring seamless collaboration between public and private entities.

Conclusion

The establishment of an AI Center of Excellence is essential for Qatar to harness AI's full potential in driving economic growth, improving public services, and enhancing productivity. The CoE must be strategically aligned with national vision, supported by strong governance, and integrated with the broader digital ecosystem. Leveraging existing infrastructure such as Azure Qatar and TASMU, the CoE can serve as a catalyst for AI innovation and transformation in Qatar.