QNA
Cairo
Shura Council Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim has highlighted the importance that Qatar, under the directives of its wise leadership, attaches to Artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, and setting legal frameworks to manage their use.
This came during his chairmanship of the Shura Council’s delegation to the 6th conference of the Arab Parliament and Speakers of Arab Councils and Parliaments held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on Saturday. The conference is being held to discuss and issue a draft document for an Arab parliamentary vision for the safe use of AI.
Al Ghanim pointed to His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s emphasis on and call for the need to hold an international conference to regulate cyber security in international law at the 73rd and 74th sessions of the United Nations General Assembly held in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
HE the Speaker of the Shura Council underscored the State of Qatar’s efforts to solidify national cyber and ensure the safety of the state’s vital interests by forming the National Cyber Security Agency.
He said Qatar has supported a United Nations’ decision to set a comprehensive international convention to counter cyber security crimes, in addition to establishing the Qatar Computing Research Institute in order to meet local needs and enhance Qatar’s leading international standing in the field.
He added that the state has adopted Qatar’s National AI Strategy in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030, to ensure the country’s economic and strategic future.
Al Ghanim stressed the importance of the draft document being worked out, however, pointing to member states’ divergence in opinions and positions regarding AI legalization.
HE the Speaker of the Shura Council continued by saying that AI receives international interest due to AI’s impressive role in serving humanity and facilitating life. His Excellency added that as the case with other forms of knowledge and sciences, AI also poses challenges and risks, particularly with regard to its military misuse which has the potential of threatening world peace and security, something on which specialists are working on understanding and mitigating.
Al Ghanim stressed the need for parliamentarians to work with AI experts and specialists on drafting a comprehensive legislation on the safe use of AI in all fields.
He said Arab AI experts and specialists must be benefitted from in conducting research and studies in the field, as well as in preparing a report on the benefits and risks of AI use, and ways for its safe use, to then be presented to the Arab Parliament’s general secretariat and distributed among member states to guide their national AI legislations.
