Dorian Paul Rogers, a poet, events curator and teacher in the UAE who goes by the stage name Paul D, has confronted some of the angst among the creative community stemming from artificial intelligence, by collaborating with AI tools for a new poetry album, The Phenomenology of Gray.
“I had some anger, scepticism and fear,” Rogers said, reflecting on when he first heard about various iterations of AI tools several years ago.
“I'm also a teacher, so I saw it [AI] through the educational lens … and I had this negative perspective that AI could be used to cheat an plagiarise.”
It was a TV-news segment, more specifically an episode of 60 Minutes on CBS, that changed how Rogers felt about how AI, and, in turn, how AI tools might be able to complement society.
In that segment, Alphabet-owned Google presented Bard, which later became known as Gemini, the company's AI chatbot that could answer complicated questions, write poetry and even generate photos and drawings.
Mr Rogers recalled how the segment helped to expand upon a famous six-word story, “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn”, by turning it into an in depth story.
“In literature it's known as one of the best six-word stories because it packs so much emotion without describing much,” said Rogers, referring to the news segment. “It was beautiful to see Bard give more explanation, assigning character names.”
“Suddenly a light bulb went off,” he said. “That would be pretty cool to prompt it and see if it could write a poem on self identity.”
Through a series of trial and error efforts with AI chatbot prompts, Rogers was eventually able to get Gemini to reflect on various themes close to his heart, and get it to reach a level of “quality, contemporary poetry.”
“I got very specific. Not only did I say 'give me a free verse' but I said, 'give me free verse poetry that does not rhyme, and let's make the poem reflect about the nostalgia of yard sales',” Rogers said, noting some of his lingering memories from growing up in Ohio and Georgia.
Once he was happy with the end result of his various prompts given to Gemini, Rogers later gave its composed responses a voice through a text-to-voice AI vocal generator application, ElevenLabs.
He later gave the voice and persona a name, Isis.
Rogers voice and lyrics are also prominent throughout the album, giving him the opportunity to compare and contrast with the thoughts provided by Gemini.
The end result is an eleven-track album he titled The Phenomenology of Gray. The inclusion of the word “gray”, said Rogers, is no accident.
“I wanted to play on the concept of grey in terms of black and white … When I was in my younger twenties, I felt certain things were definitely wrong and I needed to act, or certain people were bad just for doing something” he said.
“But I think grey helps to contextualise before we judge people,” he added, noting that the same could be applied to overall perceptions about artificial intelligence.
For all the promise presented by proponents of AI, there are also plenty of concerns. Some warn that the large language models and chatbots could be uncontrollable. Others say that AI could disrupt labour markets at an unprecedented scale, generating unrest across many demographics.
There are also concerns about those who make their living through the humanities and arts – that AI could nullify their skills and commodify the musical, illustrative and creative abilities.
Those fears were recently highlighted during a recent Apple product event, where the company's introduction video showed instruments, paint brushes, easels and various music products all being crushed, eventually revealing that they had all been replaced with an iPad.
“The destruction of the human experience, courtesy of Silicon Valley,” actor Hugh Grant wrote on X, formerly Twitter, immediately after seeing the advertisement.
Actress Justine Bateman asked: “Why did Apple do an ad that crushes the arts?”
Some critics even re-edited the advertisement to give it less of a destructive look. Apple later acknowledged to trade publication AdWeek that the advertisement “missed the mark”.
Several months later, a similar advertisement from Google promoting AI features in the context of the Olympics and athletics generated similar reactions, and was later pulled by the search giant.
In the UAE, where Mr Rogers calls home, the country has sought to be a leader in AI research while also emphasising guardrails for the quickly evolving technology.
Back in 2017, before AI was at the centre of the technology universe, the UAE announced the appointment of country's first AI Minister, Omar Al Olama, making him one of the first in the world to hold such a title.
Several years later, the UAE announced Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the world's first dedicated AI university, to bolster research in the burgeoning computer science field of AI and attract talent from all over the world.
Recently, Sam Altman, founder and chief executive of the much-talked about and prominent AI technology company ChatGPT, told the World Government Summit that the Emirates would be well positioned to be a leader in discussions about a hypothetical global AI watchdog system.
The country also recently became the first in the Arab world to join 49 other countries to become part of the Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, which is dedicated to AI safety and security.
The UAE's enthusiastic AI embrace, as well as its regulatory approach, has also inspired Mr Rogers with his unique poetry album approach.
“There's a lot of talk about job losses from AI but it could also create thousands of new jobs,” he said. “It's similar to when music went digital, so many people were so fearful, but 20 years later it's our reality, so either we're going to be afraid of it, or we're going to utilise it.”
“I didn't write a poetry album and say 'it's with the assistance of AI', … making it sound like me, I made AI an equal partner,” he explained.
The Phenomenology of Gray is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.
The five pillars of Islam
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tour de France
When: July 7-29
UAE Team Emirates:
Dan Martin, Alexander Kristoff, Darwin Atapuma, Marco Marcato, Kristijan Durasek, Oliviero Troia, Roberto Ferrari and Rory Sutherland
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20front-axle%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E218hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%20(claimed)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh215%2C000%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
