A new bachelor’s degree in Abu Dhabi could add rocket fuel to regional AI talent

In its earliest days, the study of computers was a frontier science, accessible only to those with prior academic grounding in mathematics or engineering. In 1954, the world’s first computer science degrees were awarded to a handful of postgraduates at Cambridge University in England. More than seven decades later, computer science has become a foundational discipline in itself; it is the fastest growing undergraduate degree programme in US universities, and available as a module in more than half of American high schools. In some countries, including the UAE, computer science education is mandatory in primary and secondary schools.

Artificial intelligence research, the next frontier, is undergoing a similar process. University degree offerings in AI have cropped up in a few countries in recent years. On Monday, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi, the world’s first university devoted to AI studies, announced the launch of an undergraduate programme.

As AI begins to permeate every facet of modern life and across industries– from healthcare diagnostics to autonomous vehicles – the need to extend its study to undergraduate education has become increasingly important. It is no longer appropriate, moreover, to limit deep academic engagement with AI to only those who have the time or resources to pursue graduate degrees.

The urgency of shoring up AI knowledge among younger citizens is particularly important in the Gulf, where countries are investing huge resources into becoming global AI leaders. In its National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, the UAE government says it aims for the country to be “one of the leading nations in AI” and “the world’s most prepared country for AI” by 2031 – an ambitious but achievable timeline. Having taken the lead by appointing the world’s first minister of AI, Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE continues to lead on this important issue.

Preparation entails keeping pace. The rapid evolution of AI demands a broader talent pipeline, and one that is employable across the job market – not just in the R&D departments at big tech companies. Consequently, the MBZUAI Bachelor of Science in AI has a dual-stream approach, offering tracks in AI in business and AI in engineering. The former prepares students to harness AI for strategy, data analysisand entrepreneurial ventures. The latter track focuses on the technical underpinnings – algorithm design, machine learning systems and hardware integration.

“Our students won’t just be taught theory and programming," Prof Eric Xing, MBZUAI’s president, said. "They will graduate with a critical understanding of society and people, of markets and the economy.”

In addition to developing Emirati talent in the AI industry, a new pathway for undergraduate AI education could also add rocket fuel for AI talent across the region. As the UAE’s national AI strategy notes, “There are giants in the field of AI who have come from some of the most fragile states in the Middle East.” For regional talent, the document says, the UAE is a “safe hub” to re-skill in AI.

With continued investment and more widespread adoption, studying AI will quickly go from being the cutting edge to being as run-of-the-mill as reading, writing and arithmetic. That is as it should be, if we are to prepare for a frontier that is getting closer every day and look beyond it to see what’s next.