Saudi Arabia is taking strides in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) with the introduction of Lamia Abdullah, the nation’s first AI-generated model. Lamia Abdullah is the epitome of Saudi beauty, with roots in Saudi culture and the use of technology in modeling.
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Lamia Abdullah is an AI-generated digital influencer. The Saudi girl was created to portray the beauty of Arabia, and she has made her way on social media, particularly on Instagram. Unlike other models that are available in the physical world, Lamia’s existence is purely virtual, yet she interacts with her followers as if she were a living person.
AI-created Lamia interacts like a real person
Lamia’s creation can be considered as one the latest efforts of Saudi Arabia on its way to adopting AI and robotics. The Kingdom has earlier presented Sarah and Mohammed, the first Saudi robots integrated with artificial intelligence. These innovations demonstrate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s determination of developing as a global power in the Artificial Intelligence sector.
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She also often posts pictures and videos of her daily life, such as shopping, going to the salon, and wearing traditional Saudi clothes, such as abaya. In her posts, she is able to capture the modern life of the nation as well as promote the traditions and culture while integrating the advancements of the future. One of her posts that received a lot of attention was when she wrote, “I find myself among the desert sands,” which depicted a mixture between modernity and tradition.
Lamia’s creators have taken time to ensure that the character has features of the Saudi culture right from the dialects used in the country. They have recently stated that Lamia will be soon conversing in the Najdi Saudi accent which will make her communication with the audience more intimate and real.
After her introduction, Lamia Abdullah has provided a new avenue on how AI can be used in media and entertainment. The level of her popularity is rising and, consequently, the interest in her performance at AI beauty pageants. Fans eagerly await her presence on various social media platforms other than Instagram.
Saudi Arabia invests heavily in AI development
In other news, Saudi Arabia has recently signed an agreement with IBM in order to fine-tune the kingdom’s Arabic large language model called ALLaM using IBM’s Watsonx AI. Also, the Saudi media ministry has recently signed a deal with Microsoft Arabia to incorporate AI in local media outlets, which is another great achievement in the process of modernizing the media industry.
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Additionally, in March, Saudi Arabia unveiled a $40 billion fund to support AI initiatives. These plans involve engagement with the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and other financiers. This fund has the potential to make Saudi Arabia the largest AI investor globally, and this would translate into power in the global AI ecosystem.
Cryptopolitan Reporting by Brenda Kanana
