Khaberni - Artificial Intelligence is no longer merely a transient technological development within the framework of a technological revolution sweeping the world or even a luxury; it has become a fundamental pillar that reshapes the role of government institutions in serving society and managing resources.
The issue is no longer just about speeding up transactions or improving performance, but now reflects a country's ability to keep up with global transformations and build a future based on knowledge, innovation, and responding to the demands of this revolution.
Readiness for the shift towards Artificial Intelligence means building a more efficient and flexible institutional model, capable of anticipating the future and preempting challenges rather than merely reacting, and it leads to the reengineering of processes, enhancing transparency, and reducing time and resource wastage, as well as empowering decision-makers to rely on accurate data and scientific forecasts that enrich public policies.
Importantly, this transformation reinforces citizens' trust in their institutions when they experience firsthand the quality of service, response speed, and fairness in distribution.
The Saudi experience has emerged as an advanced example in this area, with the launch of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) National Artificial Intelligence Index, attended by over 180 government entities in the first assessment cycle. This strategic step was not just a technical initiative but a national project aiming to unify government efforts within a single reference framework, assessing readiness levels, offering practical recommendations for capacity development, and transitioning Artificial Intelligence from a future vision into a daily practice within institutions.
The index is based on three main pillars, seven axes, and 23 sub-areas, reflecting the comprehensiveness of the vision and the precision of measurement, thereby enabling each government institution to gauge its true position on the digital maturity path and understand what it requires to bridge the gap towards the future.
The Saudi experience holds deep lessons; the first is that having a comprehensive national reference is the real guarantee for successful transformation and prevents the scattering of efforts; the second is that objective assessment indicators create an accountability culture and drive institutions towards continuous improvement; the third is that unifying national priorities opens doors for integrated efforts instead of conflicting ones; and finally, linking Artificial Intelligence to a major strategic vision, as in Saudi Vision 2030, gives it a dimension that goes beyond technology to become a tool for comprehensive development.
The shift towards Artificial Intelligence is not just a formal update to the digital infrastructure but a civilizational project that outlines the features of the modern state, and every successful experience shows that investing in Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally an investment in human beings, in their efficiency, and in their trust in institutions, making readiness not a luxury but an urgent national duty.
Learning from lessons is a lesson in itself.. so are we ready..?!
