Saudi Arabia tops the Edelman global confidence index in legislation related to artificial intelligence.. Bypassing the United States, Japan and Britain

Nizar al-Ali-beth agency:

The annual Confidence Index report 2024 of Edelman, a leading global consulting and public relations company, revealed that the kingdom has achieved the highest level of trust in the world, as 86% of citizens trust their government to make the necessary decisions to achieve national aspirations and goals.

The report revealed – in its 24th edition-that the Kingdom occupies an advanced position in the business confidence index, and that 78% of all participants expressed their confidence in the sector, and more than 80% expressed great confidence in the kingdom's leaders and scientists in the management and organization of innovation. Despite the growing global concerns about modern legislation and emerging technology trends, the Kingdom recorded high levels of trust, reaching 56%, compared to all 28 countries surveyed. The kingdom also ranked according to the Edelman confidence index among the world's leading centers in confidence in legislation related to artificial intelligence, surpassing the United States of America, which scored 24%, France and Japan 23%, the United Kingdom 18%, Germany 27%, and the Republic of Korea 28%.
The report also pointed to high levels of trust in the field of clean energy and artificial intelligence in the kingdom, which are vital elements in the Saudi Vision 2030, as Saudi Arabia has achieved advanced positions in terms of trust in regulated artificial intelligence technologies, with 68% for companies operating in the field of virtual/augmented reality, compared to the global average of 50%.
In this regard, the president and CEO of Edelman EMEA, arent Jan Hesselink, explained that the results of this year's Edelman confidence index showed that innovation is a pivotal player and a key pillar towards progress in the kingdom, but the public also needs guarantees assuring them that emerging technologies have been evaluated and regulated by the government and scientists, so that they can understand the impact of these technologies on their lives, and feel able to control them". "Therefore, I emphasize here the important role of the effective communication process in simplifying messages, increasing transparency to enhance confidence in the management of innovation and emerging technologies,"Hesselink added.

Commenting on this achievement, Elie Qazi, general manager of Edelman Saudi Arabia, said: "Given the transformation targets of Saudi Vision 2030 and the high levels of trust that Saudis have in their government, we have a real opportunity to highlight the profound impact that innovation can have in driving economic and societal development. It is important that the kingdom continues to highlight this through communication processes, to show the efforts made that show that innovation brings a better future, "he said.

Elie Qazi added:"the proactive approach to innovation and regulatory frameworks in the Kingdom have led to a high level of confidence in emerging technologies, which are crucial in the kingdom's journey towards achieving its vision, and shows that effective management and communication lead to broad public community support that contributes to driving economic growth and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

It is worth mentioning that the annual "Edelman Confidence Index" Survey surveyed 32,000 people in 28 countries, namely; Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Germany, Australia, the United States, Singapore, China, Argentina, Malaysia, Kenya, France, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, Spain, Colombia, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, India. The report covers a range of societal indicators of trust among businessmen, the media, governments and NGOs, and contributes to guiding the dialogue and setting priorities for the coming year.
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