At the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, there was much talk of whether we'll see a light switch moment for artificial intelligence.
You could be forgiven for thinking that AI has been overhyped, not least by marketing execs and journalists – or the elites for that matter, at the annual meeting of high-flyers. Claims that we are on the cusp of an AI revolution may seem distant when the internet keeps crashing and your Bluetooth headphones won't connect.
But AI is fast working its way into our everyday lives, and 2025 will be the year that we'll see something close to that light switch moment – or perhaps more like a dimmer light slowly getting bright and brighter.
To understand more, The National sought one of the top technology minds, Google's senior vice president of research, technology and society, James Manyika. He believes AI is already changing our lives faster than anyone could imagine and the arrival of free or low-cost AI tools is already "democratising" technology.
"We're very excited about where we are with AI", he says from 'Google House', a quaint hotel near the congress centre that the tech giant takes over each year.
And the tool he's most excited about, and uses himself daily, is NotebookLM, which was launched by Google in 2023, but received a major update for Workspace customers last month. If you're not familiar with it already, it works a bit like this:
AI is too important not to regulate. It's also too important not to regulate well
James Manyika
"Imagine there are 100 reports, each of which is 200 pages long. And I need to engage with them. So, normally, I would have had to go read them," he says.
"Instead, I can just put them all in to Notebook. And then interact with them. By interact, I can say, can you summarise the top ten points in these reports. It'll give you a summary. But the summary is not just a summary, it sets citations, if I want to check them and it takes me to the source material."
These reports can be in any language, and can be summarised into different languages. The opportunities for global companies with offices around the world, and schools and education systems, are endless.
"Imagine I was teaching. I can say, 'create a lesson plan for me with what I've just put in'. So I can do all of that," Mr Manyika says.
Learning by listening
One of the tools Google is particularly excited about is already here. It takes any kind of text-based information and turns it into a podcast in which two AI-generated voices have the most natural conversation you can imagine.
Google uses the same handful for familiarity. And Mr Manyika admits most AI voices that you hear in marketing software or voice-overs are creepy.
"We standardise the voices. It's not trying to mimic your voice, or my voices. These are true AI voices," he says.
As every university student knows, learning by listening and discussion is far more compelling than having your head in a book. But the opportunities are not just for learners.
"Say I'm a PhD computer scientist, so don't give me the generic version. I know a lot about this. I might actually go the other way. I know about quantum computing," Mr Manyika says, and the level of complexity is raised.
Once you understand how you can use multiple AI tools at the same time, and personalise them for you, the possibilities are endless, Mr Manyika adds. Between Google Gemini, Notebook and its assistant tools, suddenly your day can be far more productive.
He's also most excited about "big breakthroughs" in the field of quantum computing and how it intersects with AI. He challenges the suggestion that AI has landed on our laps recently. He uses Google Translate, launched in 2006, as one of the best examples of AI in our every day lives.
"And now, because we're using more powerful AI systems, we're able to do many, many more. Languages. So three years ago, we could probably do 50 languages in Google translate. As of now, we're doing 260. We've added 110 in the last six months," Mr Manyika says.
"So it's democratising in that way."
Regulation
Although Google and its rivals all offer paid-for, cutting-edge tools, apps like Google Lens are open to all.
"Remember the old search? You'd have to type what you're searching. So with Lens, you can [point it at the object and say] I don't know how to even name that thing. What is that thing?!," Mr Manyika says.
In Davos, and at the WEF's Global Future Forum event in Dubai in October, few topics dominated more than how to regulate AI.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, has spoken of his fears that AI is moving too quickly, and faster than regulators can. The UAE, an emerging fast mover in the field of AI, says it is developing legislation to ensure AI can thrive in a safe environment.
But not all companies are as well regulated internally as tech giants like Google, and there is much room for artificial intelligence to be used badly.
"We're trying to be two things: bold and responsible. We've said multiple times that AI is too important not to regulate. It's also too important not to regulate well," Mr Manyika says.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
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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”.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
more from Janine di Giovanni
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
