Artificial Intelligence has moved to the top of the business agenda as companies rush to understand the benefits of AI and to leverage advances like generative AI and big data analytics for their operations. Alongside the hype, there is also a rising tide of concern about the potential negative impact of the technology. Some of the fears surrounding AI have been around for some time and range from concerns that AI will leave humans without jobs, to far-fetched ideas about killer robots.
As awareness of the capabilities of AI has grown, so has the understanding of just how this fundamental technology could inadvertently cause harm as well as good. The technology industry, and governments, are realising that there is a genuine risk that unsupervised or unaccountable AI solutions could create issues in many different areas.
Recently there has been a rush of government activity as policymakers rush to legislate against these potential harms. At the end of October 2023, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order on AI, which seeks to develop ‘guardrails’ around the technology. The president said: “To realise the promise of AI and avoid the risk, we need to govern this technology.
The executive order was followed a few days later with the signing of the UK’s Bletchley Declaration by 28 countries including the UAE. This declaration is another drive for global coordination on AI regulation, stating that: “for the good of all, AI should be designed, developed, deployed, and used, in a manner that is safe, in such a way as to be human-centric, trustworthy and responsible.”
Additionally, the UAE published its own AI Ethics Principles and Guidelines in December 2022, and many nations are taking a proactive approach to AI and legislation. It is also worth noting that the US executive order and the Bletchley Declaration recognise the potential value that AI can bring. But in the rush to preserve human rights, safety, privacy and so on from AI, we need to be careful that legislation does not stifle innovation.
Making laws to govern technology can be challenging. The fast-moving pace of technology – and AI is moving exceptionally quickly – means it can be difficult for politicians to create policies and regulations that are not outdated or ineffective. Regulation also needs the flexibility to keep up with advances in the technology or else it can become a hindrance to growth. For cutting-edge technology such as AI, over-regulation could have a serious impact in several different ways.
The biggest risk is hindering innovation. Technology thrives on developers, start-ups and companies being able to experiment and innovate, to try new ideas and new solutions. Researchers and developers need the freedom to be able to innovate – within reason – and overly strict regulations might discourage organisations from experimenting with AI technology.
Excessive regulation can put the focus on compliance and companies may feel dissuaded to launch innovative projects that are likely to hit a regulatory barrier. Overregulation might also affect investment in the sector and make it more difficult for AI startups and smaller players to operate, which will reduce competition and innovation in the market overall. In terms of real-world adoption, companies may find that compliance with AI regulation is too expensive or too complex, slowing down the rate of adoption of AI technology, especially in fields like healthcare or education where there is potentially so much to gain.
As with everything, getting the regulation of AI right will be a matter of balance, between innovation and protection. The Bletchley Declaration recognises the “importance of a pro-innovation and proportionate governance and regulatory approach” to AI, which is a good indicator that governments understand the delicate balance required to create effective AI regulation.
The technology sector, along with stakeholders from other industries and academia needs to support government efforts to create flexible and adaptive regulations that will ensure a responsible, dynamic and innovative AI industry for the years ahead.
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
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Squads
India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.
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
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
