More Saudis are turning to artificial intelligence for answers before consulting experts, reshaping professions from graphic design to fitness coaching and language tutoring. Tasks that once required professional advice are increasingly handled through chatbots, redefining expertise as the kingdom rapidly adopts AI.
AI adoption in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia ranks second globally for societal awareness of AI, according to Stanford University’s 2023 Artificial Intelligence Index Report. The country also ranks fifth globally for AI sector growth and first in the Arab world, with over one million Saudis trained in data and AI skills through SDAIA’s SAMAI initiative.
Branding on a budget with AI
When Danya Al-Hamr began developing the visual identity for her new restaurant, she expected branding to consume a large part of her budget. Instead of hiring a graphic designer, she opened ChatGPT. “I described the style I wanted and asked it to create a visual identity,” she said. “It suggested colors, typography, branding concepts and references that honestly exceeded my expectations.” She said the decision saved her nearly SR3,000 ($799) and gave her a complete starting point before investing in professional branding. “It wasn’t only about saving money,” she said. “It helped me organize my ideas before I invested in the business.”
Fitness plans from chatbots
Yasser Al-Saleh has found chatbots useful for designing his fitness regimen. Instead of paying for a personal trainer, he asked ChatGPT to build a complete program. “I entered my height, weight, goals, foods I like and foods I don’t,” he said. “It created a full nutrition plan and workout schedule.” Several months later, he says the plan has delivered exactly what he wanted. “My progress has been great and I’ve started building muscle,” he said. “Everything was personalized, and I didn’t have to pay hundreds or thousands of riyals for coaching.” He said he still verifies information when needed, but no longer feels he needs a coach to build the foundation of his fitness journey.
Professionals adapt to AI-driven clients
For many users, the attraction of AI tools goes beyond cost. The software is available around the clock, responding within seconds, and can tailor answers to individual goals, budgets and preferences. But while consumers are embracing the technology, many professionals say they have already begun feeling the impact. Umaima Al-Harbi, a fitness coach with 17 years of experience in the Eastern Province, said she has noticed fewer people seeking traditional personal coaching than in previous years. “There’s definitely less demand than there used to be,” she said. “Gyms aren’t hiring coaches the way they once did because more people are relying on AI or online content.” Instead of resisting AI, she decided to adapt. Today, she encourages clients to create their own workout plans using ChatGPT before booking a consultation with her. “I actually recommend it,” she said. “Then they come to me and I review the program, correct mistakes and make sure it’s suitable for their body and health.” She believes AI has not eliminated the need for professionals, but has changed what clients expect from them. “People don’t always need someone to write everything from scratch anymore,” she said. “They need someone to tell them whether what AI produced is actually correct.”
Graphic designers face pricing pressure
Graphic designer Sarah Al-Hajri has had to respond differently. As more clients arrive with AI-generated concepts in hand, she says pricing has become one of the biggest challenges. “I’ve had to lower my prices just to stay competitive,” she said. “They expect something that took seconds to generate to replace work that can take days.” She argues that the comparison overlooks the creative process behind professional design. “Most AI-generated designs are based on patterns that already exist online,” she said. “Professional designers spend hours, sometimes days, developing something original that reflects a client’s identity, values and audience.” She worries that convenience is beginning to outweigh originality. “People naturally choose what’s faster and cheaper,” she said. “But they don’t always realize they’re sacrificing creativity and originality in the process.”
Education transformed by AI and apps
Education is experiencing the same transformation. For years, English tutor 44-year-old Sami Al-Sharif supplemented his income by teaching private lessons after work. This year, he decided to stop offering private lessons. “There simply isn’t the same demand anymore,” he said. “People have YouTube, language-learning apps and now AI. They can practise speaking, ask grammar questions and get explanations for free.” Unlike some professionals, however, he believes the change is understandable. “English has become much easier to learn independently than it was years ago,” he said. Yet he believes the limits of AI become clearer in more specialized subjects. “A friend of mine teaches engineering,” he said. “Students still book lessons with him because engineering requires deeper explanations, calculations and practical understanding. AI is useful, but students don’t completely trust it with complex subjects.”
AI as first stop, doctors as second opinion
The changing relationship between expertise and technology is already visible in other fields. According to a recent Arab News report, family physician Dr. Mohannad Al-Qarni said patients are increasingly arriving at clinics after consulting artificial intelligence rather than doctors. “In many cases, they come in treating the physician almost as a second opinion after what they’ve already seen through AI,” he said. “It used to be doctor first, then search. Now for many, it’s AI first, then doctor.” Al-Qarni said the challenge is not that AI always provides incorrect answers, but that it often presents information confidently without understanding the full medical context. “The issue is not that AI is always wrong,” he told Arab News. “It’s that it can sound convincing even when it lacks context.”
AI has made expert knowledge more accessible than ever before, but it has also changed what expertise means. For many Saudis, professionals are no longer the first stop. Increasingly, they are the second opinion. The question is no longer whether AI can answer. It is when will people still choose to ask an expert?
