Interaction of factors of countries’ readiness for digital transformation and artificial intelligence: statistical study

The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for statistically assessing countries’ readiness for digital transformation and use of artificial intelligence technologies in order to substantiate strategic directions of digital environment development. Methodology is based on the construction of three integral indices describing the readiness for digital transformation at the level of government regulation, technological sector and big data infrastructure on the basis of a set of statistical indicators. The choice of statistical indicators in the composition of these indices is justified. Comparative assessments of countries’ readiness for digital transformation and implementation of artificial intelligence technologies are constructed. The influence of the existence of national strategies for the development of artificial intelligence and codes of ethics in the field of artificial intelligence on countries’ readiness to use it is analyzed. Statistically significant dependence of the levels of readiness of countries for digital transformation and use of artificial intelligence technologies on the level of average per capita income for four groups of countries (low-income, lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income and high-income) are revealed. The conditions for digital transformation and the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in the Arab countries and their place in the general hierarchy of countries are assessed. The identified dependencies between the indices provide Arab countries with an approach to developing policies for digital transformation and the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies.