According to Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, rather than bureaucrats, Dubai’s future in artificial intelligence (AI) will be formed by its tech specialists, entrepreneurs, and unicorn businesses.
An AI Vision at the AI and Web3 Festival in Dubai
Al Olama stressed during his keynote address at the Dubai AI and Web3 Festival that he and other government officials are not in charge of AI’s future. Rather, it will be led by the tech gurus and visionaries who have selected Dubai as their center. “The future of AI will not be determined by technocrats and bureaucrats like myself,” he stated. “It will be decided by the people in this room, the [tech] unicorns who decided to call Dubai home, by technology experts who appreciate the speed of our government and the openness this country has.”
Encouraging Innovation and Worldwide Effect
Al Olama spoke to the group of creators, business owners, and well-known figures in the technology industry, emphasizing the UAE’s contribution to innovation facilitation. “Our role is to facilitate you, to guarantee that you can leverage Dubai and the UAE as a launchpad to create multinational enterprises that will have a global influence and transform the course of history,” he stated.
Prioritize AI Applications Over Competition
Al Olama pointed out that the UAE’s top goal is utilizing AI to improve daily living and decision-making processes, not competing with other nations in these areas. At the Madinat Jumeirah event, he stated, “We want to be the fastest country and fastest city to deploy AI for a good quality of life and to deploy AI to make more effective decision-making.”
A Joint Method for AI Development
Al Olama, who was appointed as the UAE’s first minister of artificial intelligence in 2017, emphasized the significance of working with other countries to guarantee the safe and advantageous growth of AI. He emphasized the necessity for responsible decision-making in the modern day by bringing up issues like labor disruption and the exploitation of AI technology. He said, “The decisions we make today about what this technology is allowed to do and what this technology is used for will either make your children and grandchildren thank us or blame us.”
UAE’s Quick Adjustment to AI Developments
Al Olama cited the UAE’s prompt appointment of chief AI officers across government agencies as evidence of the nation’s responsiveness to international AI trends. “The direct action and reaction that the UAE and Dubai specifically took is that chief AI officers were identified, assessed, and appointed in less than one month,” he stated, demonstrating how quickly the UAE can change.
The UAE Will Continue to Lead in AI Innovation
The UAE has long been a major force in AI innovation, both in terms of government policy and tech businesses. The nation established the first AI-focused university in the world, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, in 2019. The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, commended the UAE earlier this year for taking the lead in international talks on AI governance.
AI Security and Cultural Preserving Initiatives
The United Arab Emirates became the first country in the Arab world to join the Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, demonstrating its dedication to AI safety and cultural relevance. Additionally, the nation has taken action to guarantee that AI models take Arabic culture into account. Among these are the creation of Jais 70B, a large language model (LLM) with unmatched Arabic-English capabilities, and the release of a Hindi LLM by G42, an AI and cloud firm based in Abu Dhabi.
Diverse Representation at the Festival of AI and Web3
Leading IT companies like Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Builder.ai were present at the Dubai AI & Web3 Festival, together with representatives from the Ministry of Innovation and Dubai Police. Though artificial intelligence (AI) took center stage, other Web3 technologies, such as blockchain and decentralization, were also investigated.
A Jovial Interlude During a Serious Conversation
Al Olama added humor to his address by bringing up the most recent US presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. He remarked, getting laughs from the audience, “I usually don’t get nervous speaking in front of crowds, but, to be honest, I understand the monumental task of trying to compete for your attention following the presidential debate that took place a few hours ago.”
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