Doha: Officials and academics at the Smart City Expo - Doha have urged governments to subject artificial intelligence systems to rigorous testing and clearer data-governance rules before they are deployed in public services. Speaking at a panel, held alongside MWC25 Doha, the experts warned that fast-advancing AI tools-now influencing decisions in healthcare, education, finance, and industry-require stronger ethical oversight and greater transparency.

According to Qatar News Agency, the event was organized by the GSMA in partnership with Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. It brought together Hessa Al Jaber, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Community College of Qatar; Aiman Erbad, VP for Research and Graduate Studies at Qatar University; and Ahmed Al KhAnji, Head of Corporate Communications at the Qatar Financial Centre. While highlighting AI's potential to improve customer services and drive innovation, the panel warned that fast-growing systems made up of interlinked models can make it difficult for users to trace errors or understand decision-making processes. This, they argued, heightens the need for transparency, explainability, and ethical safeguards.

Cybersecurity, legal liability, and the challenge governments face in assessing the reliability of AI systems were also central to the discussion. The experts urged the creation of dedicated testing environments to evaluate AI models before adoption, emphasizing that public trust depends on systems being demonstrably safe and dependable. They also called for clearer guidance on data-sharing risks when working with cloud service providers, including identifying what information must be processed locally and what can be handled externally.

Concluding the session, the speakers said that meeting these challenges would require coordinated research, updated legislation, and practical policy frameworks to ensure AI is deployed responsibly across vital sectors.