Exploring the Socio-economic Implications of Artificial Intelligence from Higher Education Student’s Perspective

Abstract

As a result of the instability of oil prices, the economic prospects of the Gulf region are increasing their focus on new technologies. Thus, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a strong commitment towards the development and implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies as alternative sources for revenue and growth in line with globalisation, development, and the vision 2030. This paper examines the impact of AI in the Saudi Arabia community, especially for social and economic evolution. Special focus on the use of smart cars and smart cameras to monitor intelligently traffic, public services and national security is explored. A total of 424 participants from Eastern Province took part in this study. Analysis and discussion of the obtained results are also presented. The findings showed that 75.71% of participants mostly highly agreed about the AI economic impact leading to an increase in both government and business financial incomes. Whereas only 59.84% of participants mostly highly agreed about the social impact of AI as they are worried about AI ethical concerns, job loss and the changing workforce.