DeepFest returns to Riyadh: A glimpse into the future of AI

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The release of artificial intelligence (AI) models, especially large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Bard, has captivated the world, causing both excitement and alarm while raising important questions about AI’s potential impact on the global economy.

AI applications have the potential to deliver $150bn in real value to the GCC, according to a study by McKinsey & Company, which is equivalent to 9 per cent or more of regional countries’ combined GDP.

The fourth industrial revolution era is upon us, and governments and businesses in the GCC region are beginning to realise the shift globally towards AI and advanced technologies. The region faces the choice of being part of the global technological disruption or being left behind.

However, being left behind is not an option. Dubbed “the premier meeting place for the global AI ecosystem,” the much-anticipated DeepFest 2024 is coming back to Riyadh for its second edition from March 4 to 7.

Building a thriving AI ecosystem

Being held at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham, Saudi Arabia, the event features seminars and discussions on AI policy and governance, AI ethics and regulation, generative AI (GenAI), robotics, and AI and the future of work.

The AI conference will also showcase government AI initiatives and the latest innovations across many sectors, incorporating thought leadership conferences and a series of sector-dedicated tracks, trainings, live demos, innovation sessions, and an exhibition that features the world’s top technology companies including IBM and Google.

The four-day event is expected to attract more than 20,000 attendees in 2024. Co-located with LEAP, the world’s most-attended tech event that attracted more than 172,000 attendees in 2023, DeepFest will attract global thought leaders, changemakers, data scientists, innovators, enterprises, academia, start-ups, and entrepreneurs.

The conference attendees will explore the world of innovation through a themed programme journeying through the past, present, and future of generative AI (GenAI), where they will gain comprehensive insight into topics such as the evolution of AI and robots, creating value through data and AI, the impact of AI on society, and the future of work.

Headline speakers at the most anticipated AI event of the year include industry experts like Omar Hatamleh, the chief AI strategist at NASA, Ivana Bartoletti, the global chief privacy officer at Wipro, Shaloo Garg, the managing director of AI, Late-Stage Start-ups, and Unicorns at Microsoft, and Thomas Davin, the director of innovation at UNICEF.

Read: How LEAP is positioning Saudi Arabia as a technology hub