Samer Choucair: Smart Distillation Is Reshaping the AI Race and Opening Investment Opportunities for Saudi Arabia
Investment entrepreneur Samer Choucair affirmed that the accelerating developments in AI technologies, led by what's known as "knowledge distillation" or smart distillation, represent a fundamental shift in the global technology economy, as it has become possible to transfer giant models' capabilities into smaller, more efficient models at much lower cost, reshaping the competitive map between companies and nations.
He explained that what's circulating on social media platforms about the possibility of "copying" giant AI models at low cost reflects a simplification of a genuine technical concept, but it doesn't mean literally cloning the models, rather it relies on retraining smaller models using larger models' outputs to improve performance and reduce cost.
Choucair said: "Smart distillation doesn't eliminate the need to invest in massive models, but it changes how they're used, and makes artificial intelligence more applicable across multiple sectors, particularly in markets seeking cost-effective solutions."
He added that this shift opens the door to major expansion in AI applications in fields such as energy, health, financial services, and government services, as distilled models can be adapted to meet local needs with higher efficiency and fewer resources.
*Saudi Arabia's Strategic Opportunity*
He noted that Saudi Arabia has a strategic opportunity to benefit from this shift, amid its accelerating investments in digital infrastructure and data centers within Saudi Vision 2030's targets, alongside building an advanced national AI ecosystem led by relevant authorities.
He added: "The Kingdom's competitive advantage doesn't just lie in adopting technology, but in its ability to integrate it with its natural and human resources, particularly in energy and infrastructure, making it an ideal environment for developing and operating AI applications with high efficiency."
He affirmed that the global race between the United States and China in artificial intelligence requires other countries to adopt flexible strategies based on smart technology use rather than trying to fully reproduce it, strengthening the importance of international partnerships and technical integration.
He concluded by affirming that the period ahead in the AI economy won't depend on model size or cost alone, but on efficiency of use and speed of adoption, noting that investors focused on infrastructure, local applications, and strategic partnerships will benefit most from the coming digital transformation wave, particularly in Gulf and Saudi markets within Vision 2030's framework.