A growing reliance on artificial intelligence may soon result in digital replicas of employees in workplaces, potentially reshaping job roles and intellectual property rights, a Dubai conference was told.
This is one of the predictions in Gartner’s top trends for AI, which were revealed during a panel session at the AI Assembly on Monday, one of the events being held for the Dubai AI Week until Friday.
Joe Youssef Malek, vice president for executive programmes for the Gulf, India and emerging markets at the American research and advisory company, said their research showed that digital twins of employees could be a reality by 2027.
“We expect, with time, a digital AI image of yourself. So, imagine me talking to you right now while my AI avatar is having a different discussion with somebody else,” Mr Malek told The National on the sidelines of the conference. “But this persona comes with different implications for intellectual capital, royalties, on your AI image and it could actually impact your brand. So, moving forward, yes, you should expect in your corporate contract to have more terms about your AI persona and about your avatar intellectual.”
AI technology capable of creating advanced avatars that mimic real people, using facial mapping, voice cloning and behavioural data already exists. Companies like Synthesia, for example, allow users to create realistic video avatars of themselves that can speak several languages and be used for presentations, customer service and corporate training.
Mr Malek said the technology may allow a person to essentially be in two or more places at once, virtually.
The avatars would be trained on an individual’s personal data, habits, decision-making patterns, and communications history, creating a sophisticated digital version of that person.
This means the digital twin would be able to act semi-independently, conduct meetings, respond to queries or manage basic tasks.
Commercialising human identities
While AI personas could offer better efficiency and productivity, critics are concerned about the consequences of licensing and commercialising human identities.
Dr Patrick Noack, executive director of future foresight at the Dubai Future Foundation, said at the conference that the idea of outsourcing oneself to an AI entity could blur the boundaries between reality and replication.
“I think the question is if you start licensing your persona and licence the history of the persona, the way they have been acting, the way they have been deciding … you are licensing individuals’ histories,” Dr Noack said.
“I am an individual. I have my own beliefs and ways of thinking, my own principles. Now that gets outsourced and digitalised to a digital persona, which is a carbon copy, so to speak, of everything that consists of me online and in that digital format. So, who am I? Am I the digital persona? Am I the in-real-life persona?”
Dr Noack also warned of trafficking of digital avatars on the dark web. “If someone, in an entity, owns me, what does that mean? How does that make me feel good? I, ultimately, am in that kind of space going forward. And do I need to be employed by anyone else if that digital persona is going to be sold on the black market for a few Bitcoins?” he said.
An emerging AI generation
Another finding in Gartner’s research warned of a growing risk of AI addiction, particularly among younger generations who are growing up with generative tools embedded in their daily lives, from homework, relationships to decision-making.
“AI is now part of our daily life, our society and the new generations are going to use AI everywhere,” said Mr Malek. “It’s like part of their lives. So, this could create an addiction.”
While older generations may find AI tools intimidating, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are already adapting to a world in which AI is just another form of interaction, like texting or gaming.
“AI is now part of our daily life, our society and the new generations are going to use AI everywhere, so, this could create an addiction,” said Mr Malek. “But this addiction could change depending on the generation. Our generation might have a different perspective on that and might need some support, whereas the newer generation might be so comfortable in AI because it's part of their daily life. They would feel that this is quite normal.”
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
More on Quran memorisation:
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
Match info
Costa Rica 0
Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')
RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
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
'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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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
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
3%20Body%20Problem
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
