SDAIA Launches Final Phase Of ALLaM Challenge With 600 Participants From 17 Countries

The Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) is set to commence the final phase of the ALLaM Challenge on Thursday. This event will see 600 participants, both men and women, from 17 countries forming 200 teams. The competition will unfold over three days at Riyadh's Crowne Plaza Hotel in Digital City.

The ALLaM Challenge is designed to advance artificial intelligence (AI) models that can write and understand Arabic poetry, parse sentences accurately, and teach children the Arabic language in an engaging manner. This initiative underscores Saudi Arabia's commitment to promoting the Arabic language in technical fields by providing high-quality data and developing AI models adept at managing the language effectively.

This international competition is organized in collaboration with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones. It also involves partnerships with IBM and the National Technology Development Program (NTDP). The event brings together over 50 mentors and more than 40 adjudicators who are experts in AI and the Arabic language.

These professionals will guide participating teams and evaluate their projects based on specific criteria. The focus will be on ensuring that proposed solutions are sustainable and can be transformed into practical AI-driven projects that benefit the Arabic language across various fields.

The ALLaM application, showcased on IBM's Watsonx platform, serves as a crucial generative linguistic AI model for Arabic speakers globally. This initiative aligns with SDAIA’s ongoing efforts to boost national capabilities in data and AI sectors. By fostering such advancements, Saudi Arabia aims to strengthen its position in these rapidly evolving fields.

Through this challenge, SDAIA seeks to create a robust foundation for future developments in AI technologies related to the Arabic language. The competition not only highlights Saudi Arabia's dedication to linguistic innovation but also its role in fostering international collaboration for technological progress.

With inputs from SPA