First Ever AI Art Hackathon Held in Riyadh to Explore the Creative Potential of Humans Empowered by Artificial Intelligence

AI Artathon, a Global AI Summit initiative, brings together local and global competitors to create AI Art in Saudi Arabia

The first ever AI Art Hackathon reached the finale of its first round in Riyadh on Saturday 25^th January, after a weekend of intense competition.

The AI Artathon, an initiative of the Global AI Summit, challenged local and international teams of artists, designers, data scientists and AI experts to create new artistic work using artificial intelligence tools and techniques.

The competition is organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, as part of the Global AI Summit. Taking place in Riyadh in March 2020, the Global AI Summit will connect key decision makers from government, academia, business and technology, to discuss the most important issues around AI and how it can be used for the benefit of humanity.

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Over 2,000 people from over 50 countries applied to participate in Artathon, with 300 people selected for the hackathon in Riyadh.

Teams worked around the clock to develop concept AI Art projects, with support from expert mentors and AI professionals, including Luba Elliott, a curator, artist and researcher, specializing in artificial intelligence in the creative industries; Gene Kogan, an artist and programmer with an interest in autonomous systems, collective intelligence, generative art, and computer science; and Celia Bugniot, a multidisciplinary project manager, designer and artist.

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Twenty teams have now been selected for the next stage of the competition, which will see them take part in a two-month program to turn concepts into AI works of art.

The top ten artworks will be displayed in an exhibition which will be held at the Global AI Summit on 30-31^st March, and the top three teams will split a prize of SAR500,000 (US$133,000).

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Global AI Summit, said that the AI Artathon is intended to highlight the creative potential of AI and its positive benefits to humanity, a key theme of the Global AI Summit.

“It was very positive to see all of these competitors, coming together from Saudi Arabia and around the world, to collaborate and create using Artificial Intelligence,” said HE Dr. Abdullah. “The Global AI Summit aims to bring together government and business leaders, AI experts, academics and investors from around the world, so that Saudi Arabia can lead the discussions on how we can all shape the future of AI, together.”

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