The future of artificial intelligence will be decided by Dubai's tech unicorns and technology experts – not bureaucrats, Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said on Wednesday.
In his keynote speech at the opening of the Dubai AI and Web3 Festival, the minister said: “The future of AI will not be determined by technocrats and bureaucrats like myself.
“It will be decided by the people in this room, the [tech] unicorns who decided to call Dubai home, by technology experts who appreciate the speed of our government and the openness this country has.”
He told the entrepreneurs, founders and established technology leaders attending the two-day festival: “Our job is to enable you, our job is to ensure you're able to use Dubai and the UAE as a springboard to make global companies that will make global impact and change the future.”
Mr Al Olama said that the UAE, and Dubai in particular, was not trying to “out-compete” companies or researchers on AI, but is instead focused on how AI can be applied to everyday life.
“We want to be the fastest country and fastest city to deploy AI for a good quality of life and to deploy AI to make more effective decision-making,” he told the event at Madinat Jumeirah.
Mr Al Olama, appointed as UAE's first AI minister in 2017, also spoke about the need to work with other countries around the world to ensure that AI develops in a safe manner that alleviates some of the fears, for example around labour disruption and potential misuse of the burgeoning technology.
“Your children and grandchildren will either thank us or blame us for the decisions we make in this day and age in what this technology is allowed to do and what this technology is used for,” he said.
Collective action and collaboration, he said, have been and will continue to be areas of focus as the UAE seeks to be a leader in both artificial intelligence innovation and regulation.
He referred to the US announcement of voluntary requirements for companies on artificial intelligence and its ambitions to have chief AI officers in every government agency.
“The direct action and reaction that the UAE and Dubai took specifically is that chief AI officers were identified, assessed and appointed in less than one month,” he said, saying such actions show how the UAE adapts and reacts quickly to ideas.
While AI might seem to be on the tip of every tongue in 2024, the UAE has long sought to be a significant player in the sector, both in terms of technology start-ups and government policy.
In 2019, the country announced Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first dedicated artificial intelligence university.
Earlier this year, Sam Altman, founder and chief executive of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, told the World Government Summit that the UAE 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 nations in the Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, which is dedicated to AI safety and security.
It has also sought to ensure aspects of Arabic culture are not left behind by the initial AI surge in which most large language models were based on English-language data. Jais 70B, an LLM, delivers Arabic-English capabilities at an unprecedented size and scale.
Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence and cloud company G42 also recently helped to culturally broaden the AI landscape with the launch of a Hindi large language model.
Attendees at the AI & Web3 Festival include representatives from Microsoft, Meta, Google and Builder.ai and other companies. Government organisations such as Dubai Police, Dubai Digital Authority and the Ministry of Innovation are also taking part.
While artificial intelligence is a major theme at the event, blockchain, decentralisation and technology openness – often collectively falling under the banner of Web3 – are also on the agenda and feature throughout the exhibition booths.
Mr Al Olama also mentioned Tuesday's US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump during his speech.
“I typically am not nervous of speaking in front of crowds but, to be honest, I understand the monumental task of trying to compete for your attention following the presidential debate that took place a few hours ago,” he said, prompting laughter from the audience.
“Who knows what that means for each and every individual, each company and countries around the world.”
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
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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
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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