Bahrain has shown high awareness and interest in adopting ChatGPT in the public sector, especially among younger employees, despite the challenges associated with artificial intelligence (AI), a recent study has shown.
The study, titled ‘What are the challenges facing the use of ChatGPT in the Bahrain public sector?’ explores the use of the popular AI tool, along with the limitations regarding its implementation in the kingdom.
It was conducted by Arabian Gulf University’s Department of Business Administration researchers Sharifah Alharoon and Fairouz Aldhmour.
Ten participants, five males and females each, from the kingdom’s public sector took part in the study, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) academics, consultants and managers.
The study revealed that the biggest challenge to the adoption of ChatGPT in Bahrain’s public sector is concerns relating to data confidentiality, with organisational leaders fearful of the exposure of sensitive information.
“Several studies have identified concerns over privacy and data security as a key obstacle to ChatGPT adoption,” it says.
“In settings where intellectual property concerns are important, such as academic environments, concerns over originality and copyright infringement have been an additional barrier to the use of generative AI.
“The problem is compounded by the possibility of unreliable data as users expressed frustration at their inability to verify the sources that AI solutions base their actions on.
“Concerns over the incompatibility of generative AI solutions with social or religious norms also limit adoption.”
For the uninitiated, ChatGPT is an AI-powered conversational assistant that generates human-like text, code and images based on user prompts. It performs tasks such as writing, debugging, translating, summarising, brainstorming and analysing data. It can simulate environments, act as a tutor, and conduct deep research with cited, structured outputs.
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is accessible in a majority of countries, but its usage is restricted or banned by specific governments due to data privacy laws, censorship, or geopolitical reasons.
It is blocked in China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Cuba and other countries, either due to lack of support, concerns regarding control over information, or due to sanctions.
In the European Union, it is generally available, but with restrictions on certain features due to strict data privacy regulations.
Meanwhile, in the GCC, it is accessible with little to no restriction, and in the UAE, the government partnered with OpenAI to offer ChatGPT Plus for free to residents.
According to the study, while it is available in Bahrain, it has faced challenges including cost of adoption and the need to train employees, although they were deemed to be minor.
The technical infrastructure can be expensive to purchase and maintain, while the skilled professionals needed in advanced settings can have prohibitively high remuneration.
Even in more basic settings, a significant outlay may be needed to teach workers how to effectively integrate AI into their workflows.
Despite that, not only are they negligible challenges, but Bahrain has shown that it has a ‘great potential’ when it comes to AI adoption, especially in the financial sector.
“The financial sector is arguably leading Bahrain in AI adoption, driven by a firm belief that it can enhance productivity quickly,” the study says. “It is being utilised in combating financial fraud and terrorist financing through cryptocurrency tracking.
“Gen Z (includes those born between 1997 and 2012) has demonstrated greater enthusiasm than older generations in financial fields, appreciating AI for its efficiency and creativity.”
Finally, the study revealed that there is a high level of awareness and interest in Bahrain in adopting the technology in the kingdom’s public sector, especially among younger workers.
“Deep-seated appetite for the use of ChatGPT in the public sector appears relatively high, especially among youth,” it says.
“Young people in Bahrain have considerable experience using ChatGPT at university and are confident in its potential benefits, especially as they consider the tool to be easy to use.
“Younger employees are well-positioned to lead adoption efforts, providing a strong basis for integrating ChatGPT more widely across the public sector.”
The GDN reported that a public school teacher recently started experimenting with tools such as ChatGPT, Canva and Google Workspace and integrated them with his experience as an educator.
Mohammed Hashem, a biology teacher at Naim Secondary Boys School noticed how his students were using AI tools for their lessons, but were getting inaccurate information.
So he began designing a Smart Assistant that provides information based on official and verified sources, with the goal being to offer students accurate explanations, interactive exercises and personalised feedback that matched their level.
Mr Hashem said that the response from the classroom has been ‘remarkably positive’, and that students have seen a ‘clear and measurable’ improvement in academic performance.
The school’s goal is now to ensure every scientific department has its own programme, and to become a pioneer in digital transformation in Bahrain.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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