A Dubai competition focused on developing skills in artificial intelligence technology is under way, with Dh1 million ($272,290) in prize money on offer for participants from around the world.
The Global Prompt Engineering Championship has been organised by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and Dubai's Centre for Artificial Intelligence.
In AI, a prompt refers to a specific request made to a language model such as ChatGPT, which can provide a response or solution to a user.
DFF deputy chief executive Abdulaziz Al Jaziri spoke to The National at the competition and described prompt engineering as the next phase in acquiring new skills in the tech sector.
"We recognised AI as a technology that can revolutionise lives, enabling individuals to develop new skills and discover new roles and opportunities. Prompt engineering is now emerging as a crucial new skill set in this context," he said.
The selection process
The first of the two-day conference focused on selecting nine from the top 30 prompt engineering programmers to participate in the final phase on Tuesday at the Museum of the Future.
The selection process involves a rigorous evaluation of the participants' skills and understanding of prompt engineering. The programmers will then be divided into five groups, each competing in literature, art, and coding.
Mr Al Jaziri explained the championship's inclusive approach, addressing why it includes categories beyond coding.
"We realised that coding is for a subset of society. Literature appeals to a wider society and art to an even bigger set. We want everyone to feel included in this skill set, and this is a skill that we believe everyone should get and learn," he said.
The nine competitors will be announced in the auditorium Tuesday morning, and only three, one from each category, will receive prize money totaling Dh1 million ($272,290).
Inclusivity beyond age limits
What stood out to Mr Al Jaziri was the diversity of the participants. "There were initially thousands of entries from over 100 countries, and in terms of age groups, we have a 13-year-old to a 60-year-old," he said.
The youngest participant in the literature category, Zara Hasnain from the UK, found out about the championship online and registered independently. A self-proclaimed enthusiast of both AI and literature, she found the competition's unique blend of disciplines irresistible.
"I was interested in AI and liked linking it with other things like literature. So I thought it would be a great opportunity to participate in this competition," she told The National.
Although the competition has an age limit of 18, an exception was made for the 13-year-old prodigy due to her exceptional skills at such a young age.
"I was surprised, to be honest, because I thought more people my age would participate. There was no age limit online, so I assumed it was for everyone," she said.
Judging AI mastery
A specialised committee evaluates the completed projects and looks for speed, quality, and accuracy.
Abdelrahman Al Mahmoud, one of the judges and the Head of Research and Infrastructure in the Artificial Intelligence Office at the Prime Minister's Office, emphasised the importance of mastery of AI systems.
He noted that judges focus on how well participants can control and direct AI tools.
"We are looking at their mastery of the tool: how they can make the system do what they want, rather than simply accepting whatever output the system gives them," he told The National.
Major global technology companies, including Microsoft, Google, and IBM, participated in the event with the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy as its strategic partner.
As the first day unfolds, excitement and anticipation fill the air. Participants are eager to showcase their skills and creativity, hoping to qualify for the finals.
The GPEC, with its unique focus on prompt engineering and its inclusive approach encompassing literature, art, and coding, is set to be an inspirational event, paving the way for future advancements in the digital economy.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
