Adaptation of public sector to automation and technology in Saudi Arabia
Introduction
Automation has taken part in the society in Saudi Arabia to replace human manual operations in most of the top companies. Automation is being given first priority because the more efficient and cut cost, and they can be improvised to work on any type of work. Thus in the process, they free employees from undertaking repetitive tasks. Saudi Arabia government came up with three ways to solve the unemployment problem: Saifi, and this mainly helps to connect individuals who are 17+ of age with training programs and summer internships. My scholarship job (Saifi, 2007), play a crucial role in sponsoring overseas students and finding jobs for Saudi students. Doroob allows Saudi Arabia students to undertake their courses online so that they can develop relevant work skills.
Background and significance of the study
With the current advance in technology and human intelligence, machines have substantially outperformed humans in different aspects of life. Automation has come with efficiency, increased production, quality, and reduced labour. This change in technology has affected the economy of Saudi Arabia. They are affecting not only the low-skilled workers but a wide range of job types across the kingdom (Krishna 2017). In labour-intensive fields such as production industries, automation has the ability to replace beyond 45% of the work, as the young generation prepares to get into the workforce.
Many fields are being reshaped by artificial intelligence, and it is significantly altering the way human beings interact, the nature of information consumption, and the controversy of the employment paradigm. The public is adopting technological innovations such as biometrics, voice and face recognition, and the famous virtual agents as these could be the only way of survival in the near age of automation.
In October 2017, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), became the first country in the world to grant citizenship to a human intelligence robot (Sophia) (Muallem, 2015). This was a significant landmark to show the country’s position in embracing artificial intelligence. Since 44% of the KSA’s GDP is based on natural resources, the government acknowledges the importance of sophisticated technological devices, which are important in attracting investment and making the industries efficient, hence diversifying the economy Nevertheless, many people are still eager to see what the future holds (Krishna 2017). Many people are still wondering whether the robots will take off their jobs, or the robots will boost human potential and imagination.
Purpose of the study
To coup with the automation, the young have shifted their focus to technology and enhance their skills with automation and artificial intelligence. The significant role of this digital transformation is to accelerate and unlock human potential. About 58% of the KSA population are people below the age of 30. When these population has laid its interest in technology, the KSA has the ability to absorb them into the market. No matter the digital advancements, there is always a need for a skilled workforce (Krishna 2017). According to research done in 2018, successful digital progress will lead to; an additional of at least 1% GDP for an increase in 20% investment in technology. And a 1% decrease in unemployment when the government invests in smart infrastructure and communication technology.
Statement of the problem
Automation technology in Saudi Arabia should favour both employees and employers sides, with the illustration that the introduction of machines should not cover all jobs to make most of the youths jobless within the society.
Objective of the study
The research outlines the implications of machine automation within the society, and how other employment opportunities can be exploited to cover up those who might be affected by automation.
Literature review
In the recent past, with little technology in Saudi Arabia, many people lost their jobs because machines replaced them. For example, the introduction of sophisticated computers led to many people losing their jobs. People who were being employed as guards during the day have been replaced by CCTVs (Muallem, 2015). It makes sense that with the advancement in artificial intelligence, people are expected to lose jobs, especially those working in industries. However, according to Gregg Cross, a CEO, which is focused on the production of soul machines, the future may lead to an integration of the devices and the real human. He says that currently, the real and virtual agents have started to merge. He says that the future can be predicted based on the lives of the rich in Saudi Arabia (Alkwaz, 2016). According to him, he predicts that every bank customer will have their banker. The banker plays the role of financial advisory and monitors the bank transactions on behalf of the owner. It has been a common trend in KSA. This is an indication that, however, the automation will rise; there will be a rise in new employment segments.
Digital agents, also known as digital humans, are becoming common in many fields in the form of self-service machines and robots. Many people have accepted them, although some have rejected them. Since human beings build a relationship based on face to face interactions, artificial intelligence is on the strive to make a digital human with a digital brain and enrich it with more human behaviours. These will make humans trust them and enjoy their services (Krishna, 2017). With the help of neuroscientists and psychologists, it has been possible to make the first robot with the digital brain. For technological enhancement, the primary focus is being placed on putting a face and inducing human behaviour to personalize the experience and make it more real. For example, this advancement will allow people to create digital forms of themselves, and this will lighten the workload effectively.
The use of digital humans has become vital in the present day in Saudi Arabia. The benefits are incredible. The advancements are expected to play a pivotal role in fields such as education and healthcare (Alkwaz, 2016). These will be practical, especially in cases where there are not enough real professionals to perform the tasks.
However, technological revolutions may be seen as sources of unemployment. Still, if the citizens focus on educating the youths with technology and help them immerse themselves in it, it has the potential to build adequate jobs for the citizens of Saudi Arabia. To fit in the coming age of automation, generations in KSA are swimming in the ocean of technology and artificial intelligence to conversant themselves with this revolution and fit in the job market.
References
Saifi, R. A. (2007). Impact of migration on the health of Bangladeshi female labour migrants: a preliminary study.
Alkawaz, M. H., Sulong, G., Saba, T., Almazyad, A. S., & Rehman, A. (2016). Concise analysis of current text automation and watermarking approaches. Security and Communication Networks, 9(18), 6365-6378.
Al Muallem, Y., Al Dogether, M., Al Assaf, R., Al Ateeq, A., & Househ, M. S. (2015, February). The implementation experiences of a pharmacy automation drug dispensing system in Saudi Arabia. In ITCH (pp. 22-26).
Krishna Rao, M. R. K. (2017, June). Infusing critical thinking skills into the content of the AI course. In Proceedings of the 10th annual SIGCSE conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education (pp. 173-177).