Heritage Next: Robotics & AI in Heritage
Abstract
In an industry that has stagnated for generations, we are identifying a multitude of ways to bring delight, personalization, and deeper empathy into the heritage guest experience by using Robotics, AI, and mixed reality. At AlUla, we are faced with a plethora of challenges that traditional methods cannot solve. How do we make our destination guest-friendly and accessible while having our heritage sites spread out over a large expanse of space? How can we differentiate ourselves as a leading heritage destination globally, when we are very new to the market? How do we engage a younger, more digitally enabled, and diverse target market to an industry that has traditionally attracted pentagenarians and above? These are all problems for which we are identifying a variety of exciting solutions using the thoughtful and compassionate applications of advanced technologies in robotics, automation, and augmented reality.
Brief Biography
Ahmed Daoud is Director of Innovation Futures and acting Executive Director of Innovation for the Royal Commission for AlUla. He is a patented inventor, accomplished executive, and accredited innovation management professional. Daoud is an expert on the impacts of innovation on governments and their interactions with their citizenry and residents and has led high profile project with the UAE government and different government entities in the Kingdom. His focus is on the importance of deep compassion - and a strong understanding of stakeholder motivators - in driving innovation capable of solving big problems. At his former post as CTO of a US-based health-tech start-up, he invented patented “compassionate technology” in wearables, IoT, and digital health to tackle complex human and operational challenges across the care management spectrum. Ahmed has also worked in various other industries such as high performance-computing, semiconductors, and edutainment with organizations ranging from early-stage start-ups to the likes of Cray Supercomputers and Microsoft.