LIVE FROM MWC25 DOHA: A trio of experts representing organisations working with cutting-edge AI technology outlined their achievements during the event’s final keynote, where a top scientist raised the importance of AI technology developed without Western biases.

During the session, Qatar Computer Research Institute principal scientist Mohamed Eltabakh (pictured), who is involved in the development of local AI platform Fanar, noted although common models developed primarily in English were getting better with the Arabic language there were “great and high risks” from just using these platforms.

Among these are privacy concerns meaning sensitive data cannot be shared with platforms outside of the country, fears of bias, and uncertainty that comes from using a technology where “you don’t own the roadmap”.

“We know that ChatGPT, [Google] Gemini and all of these models are built by 90 per cent Western data. There are inherent biases in these models, whether you like it or you don’t like it”.

Noting there was a slant towards Western languages compared to others such as Arabic, he also highlighted cultural bias.

“If you are building any application that has social impact or social connection, biases will play a role”.

He also noted the Arabic language was not well represented online, hampering the ability for many existing models to gather appropriate information for use in AI models.

“If we don’t do something special to protect the Arabic language eventually it can die,” Eltabakh added, indicating this was part of the reason for the development of Fanar.

Human-machine interaction
Earlier in the session Dr Mohammed Al Sada (pictured, below), executive director of the Qatar Mobility Innovations Center at Qatar University, discussed its work investigating future technologies.

Noting the importance of adopting a “producer mindset” in Qatar, he added: “If we don’t create the future, we will always be following so that’s why we need to take the initiative to create a future that reflects our values and maintains our humanity”.

A man in traditional Middle Eastern attire stands on a stage, presenting in front of large screens. The screens display illustrated diagrams labeled “Society 3.0 – Industrial” and “Society 2.0 – Agricultural,” showing workers and agricultural scenes.

Among the areas it is developing are those contributing to “industry 5.0” and “society 5.0”.

These include use of collaborative robots for small and medium-sized businesses, human-machine interface technologies, and work on a project to aid machines in handling delicate goods and tasks.

“As humans we have soft bodies that enable us to interact with the real world, interact with different objects, holding things, so we need to reflect that on machines,” he added, stating it aims to develop parts for the end of robot limbs that are “soft, inflatable and can interact with some delicate objects just like a human would do”.

Applying AI
One company which has been delivering results, and a lot of other things, with the help of AI is Qatari logistics and ecommerce app company Snoonu.

A man wearing a white thobe and a traditional Qatari headscarf speaks while holding a yellow object. He is facing left, gesturing with one hand, and has a watch on his wrist. The background is plain white, with some blurred text partially visible at the bottom.

During his segment, founder and CEO Hamad Mubarak Al-Hajri (pictured, left) outlined the business benefits it has gained from using AI and machine learning across its operations, as it seeks to provide users with rapid deliveries and increase the number of purchases made.

Areas it is using the technology for are hyper-local push notifications, curation of recommendations, and improving logistics with real-time tracking and demand forecasts.   

Sharing his lessons with the audience, he advised “use the AI to increase your revenue, use your AI to reduce your costs, use your AI to increase your efficiency and improve your metrics”.