In a significant step for Saudi Arabia’s tech landscape, 23-year-old innovator Ahmed Al-Malki is pioneering a new intersection of artificial intelligence and human psychology. As the founder of Minus Zero and lead researcher at NeuroVate Lab, a specialized division within Saudi tech startup GCAD, Al-Malki has developed a platform that analyzes language to reveal deep insights into how people think and make decisions, aligning with the Kingdom’s push for data-driven innovation.
From Academic Theory to Applied AI
The Minus Zero platform transforms written text into measurable data on cognition and emotional balance by merging psychology, linguistics, and data science. The initiative began as a company research project aimed at operationalizing the BEGINING Scale, an academic model created by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hussein to assess creativity, balance, and decision-making.
“We wanted to bring this model to life,” Al-Malki stated. “We wanted to bridge psychology and technology, turning complex human traits into measurable data.”
With a background in computer science, Al-Malki was fascinated by how language—including word choice and sentence structure—reflects our internal thought processes. This concept became the foundation for Minus Zero, which can analyze everyday writing to support education, recruitment, and performance discussions.
Addressing a Gap in the Local Market
Al-Malki identified a critical gap in the regional market: the over-reliance on psychometric tools developed abroad, trained primarily in English, and lacking cultural context for the Arab world.
“In Saudi Arabia, most assessments are static, imported, or linguistically biased,” he explained. “They don’t reflect how we think or communicate.”
Minus Zero directly addresses this challenge by offering bilingual analysis in both Arabic and English. The system is specifically designed to account for local language and cultural nuances, providing a more accurate and relevant tool for the MENA region.
Prioritizing Ethical and Private AI
As AI adoption accelerates under Vision 2030, Minus Zero was built with privacy and fairness as core principles. The platform utilizes federated learning, a decentralized AI training method that works on encrypted data without transferring any personal information, ensuring user data remains secure.
“We built it so privacy is never compromised,” said Al-Malki. “User data stays where it belongs, but the system still learns and improves.”
To ensure fairness, the model was trained on balanced datasets to minimize linguistic or demographic bias. “Our goal is ethical AI — systems that serve people, not exploit them,” he added.
Real-World Applications and Vision 2030 Alignment
NeuroVate Lab is already conducting pilot programs with schools and companies to test tools that assess creativity, stress management, and decision-making. In these pilots, educators are using the data to understand student learning patterns, while employers are applying it to enhance leadership and teamwork.
This work directly supports Saudi Vision 2030’s goals of fostering local talent and integrating advanced technology into national systems. By offering tools that can personalize learning and inform data-driven hiring, Minus Zero helps identify and nurture potential.
“AI can help identify innovators and leaders early, aligning individual potential with national goals,” Al-Malki noted.
About NeuroVate Lab
Founded by Ahmed Al-Malki, NeuroVate Lab operates as a specialized research and development division within the Saudi tech startup GCAD. The lab focuses on bridging the gap between academic theory and applied technology, transforming research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience into practical AI-powered tools for use in education, human resources, and behavioral analytics.
Source: Arab News
