By Alaeddine Karim

There is little doubt that 2023 was the year of Artificial Intelligence (AI). After a decade of rapid digital transformation that completely reshaped the way we work and live, breakthroughs in AI have fuelled the next wave of progress, driving widespread investment across the public and private sectors that pushed the global AI market to be valued at $142.3 billion.

In the GCC, the contribution of AI to the economies of Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar is forecast to reach $45.9 billion by 2030–equivalent to 8.2 percent of their GDP - underscoring the confidence that the visionary leaders in these progressive nations have placed in the technology to propel their missions and position the region at the forefront of the digital age. In Kuwait, the potential for AI to unlock new possibilities has long been a priority, with Vision 2035emphasizing the technology’s strategic importance to the country’s national development strategy.

Already, we are seeing businesses across Kuwait increasingly investing into the promise of AI to automate repetitive tasks, optimize operations, enhance decision-making, personalize customer experiences, and unlock new avenues of productivity. Business leaders across industries are also exploring the latest advancements in generative AI, underpinned by a class of large-scale models that perform a wide range of tasks from describing images in natural human language to creating images based on a user’s prompt, and even generating code.

Just recently, in fact, Kuwait Times unveiled an AI-powered news presenter called ‘Fedha’ to present the news bulletin to viewers in a new and innovative way. Microsoft has also developed an everyday AI companion called Microsoft Copilot to help organizations across Kuwait and the world liberate valuable time and resources by automating tedious processes and paving the way for enhanced productivity and creativity.

What’s crucial to note about many of these latest AI advancements is that accessing them requires vast computing resources and specialized infrastructure – challenges that on-premises solutions simply cannot overcome. On-premises infrastructure often limits the ability to scale computing resources quickly and efficiently, which is crucial for training and running complex AI models. Additionally, the specialized hardware and software needed for advanced AI tasks can be prohibitively expensive and complex for many organizations to manage on their own. To ensure that they are taking full advantage of the latest AI tools and not falling behind in the ongoing productivity revolution, Kuwaiti organizations will need to move beyond cloud-on-premise solutions and shift to full cloud capabilities.

Cloud platforms offer readily available access to sophisticated infrastructure that empowers businesses of all sizes to leverage the power of AI without the burden of significant upfront investment or ongoing maintenance. The continuous evolution of AI technologies and the rapid pace of innovation are also best addressed in the dynamic and flexible environment offered by the cloud, allowing organizations to stay at the forefront of advancements without the constraints of static on-premises solutions.

To help organizations across Kuwait realize this tremendous potential, Microsoft delivers advanced cloud computing services that are empowering institutions across all sectors to accelerate their AI innovation journey. For example, we have partnered with the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) on the Kuwait Digital Transformation Enterprise Skilling Programme to upskill Kuwait’s government sector workforce in technologies such as cloud, AI, and the Internet of Things.

As organizations across Kuwait turn the page to a new chapter in 2024, I have no doubt that the future of business will belong to those who embrace the transformative power of cloud-based AI. As Microsoft, we will continue to democratize our breakthroughs in AI through our trusted cloud to help the government, businesses, developers, students, and startups across Kuwait access the latest cutting-edge tools and resources they need to build their own AI applications, drive innovation, and advance the nation’s digital economy.

Note: Alaeddine Karim is General Manager, Microsoft Kuwait