More than half of UAE workers worry they will lose their jobs to robots or artificial intelligence over the next 10 years, a survey found.
The poll of about 1,000 residents revealed younger people are more concerned about how advancing technology will influence their career prospects.
The study, carried out by communications advisers duke+mir, in association with YouGov, asked people how they believed AI will affect their lives.
Fifty-five per cent said they worried their roles would be replaced by AI or robots by 2033.
It has opened our eyes to a new challenge, but it will depend on who is teaching the AI to determine if it will become smart, or stupid
Arif Aljanahi,
Security Industry Regulatory Industry, Dubai Government
About 24 per cent people were unsure and 21 per cent were not afraid of their roles being replaced by technology.
Sixty per cent Emiratis were concerned by AI and robots replacing their roles as compared to 45 per cent of their western expatriates.
“With such a strong focus from the UAE government on providing and protecting Emirati jobs both now and in the future, it’s quite unexpected to see the youth and Emiratis of the UAE being the most concerned about future technological advancements,” said Jonathan Ivan-Duke, co-founder and partner at duke+mir.
“As one of the world’s most forward-thinking nations when it comes to innovation, citizens and residents are used to new technologies being unveiled within the Emirates. They just want to make sure that it’s not going to replace them.”
The survey found 66 per cent of people under 25 were fearful AI and robots will come for their jobs in the next decade, compared to 57 per cent of those in the age-group of 25 to 44 and just 43 per cent of those aged 45 and older were concerned.
The surveyors pointed at the opportunity for the private sector and public institutions to offer more education on the potential benefits of AI and robotics.
It is not just the much discussed ChatGPT text generator bot that is utilising AI to bypass human involvement.
The Stockimg AI app creates images and posters in seconds, while the runwayml.com website can create an AI powered video out of a simple idea.
The UAE government is driving ambitious plans to establish the country as a global AI hub.
In 2017, the UAE appointed Omar Al Olama as its first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and later adopted the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 to promote the growth of the cutting-edge technology.
The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi was established in 2019 to develop the skills of top talent from across the world to lead workplaces of the future.
At the start of the year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced the D33 Dubai Economic Agenda.
It aims to double Dubai’s economy over the next decade, with a key objective of generating new economic value from the digital transformation and a shift towards increasing the use of AI.
The plan aims to sustain growth of Dh100 billion a year.
As cities become more intelligent by utilising technology, they become more efficient and generate huge amounts of data to enable governments to improve services.
Human interaction remains crucial
Although AI is playing a key role in how data from smart cities is used, human interaction will play a critical role according to Arif Aljanahi, security engineering department director of the Security Industry Regulatory Agency, which was set up by the Dubai government.
“A key point that people do not consider about AI is that it depends on the information that is being fed to the algorithm,” said Mr Aljanahi at the Security Leaders summit at the Intersec conference in Dubai.
“The biggest challenge we have is converting the meta data.
“The success of AI depends on who is teaching the system. AI can be used in a good way, and also in a bad way.
“We do not know yet what is going to happen with it in the future.
“It has opened our eyes to a new challenge, but it will depend on who is teaching the AI to determine if it will become smart, or stupid.
“It is like a small child, if you give it the wrong information, it will start on the wrong path," he said.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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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
Stage 5 results
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53
2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -
3 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott -
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:04
5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07
General Classification:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04
2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48
5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11
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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
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If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
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