In its mission to become an AI powerhouse, the UAE government is prioritising the use of AI in all aspects of its work, from the provision of government services to the setting of future strategies. This was on full display at the launch of GITEX Global 2024 in Dubai, which this year had a specific focus on the emerging technology.
Speaking to Aletihad at the Abu Dhabi government stand, Vice President of Public Affairs and Alumni Relations at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of AI (MBZUAI) Sultan Al Hajji said the government was being proactive in reducing the fear of the unknown associated with AI.
“I think AI presents in every single aspect of life, so the sooner we embrace it, the more we understand it, the better we can navigate our life in the future,” he said.
“Every single person has to understand what AI can do for them. It’s a mystery at the moment, because there’s so many things, but also, we have to understand that AI cannot do everything,” Al Hajji added.
Al Hajji noted that since 2017, he has been proud to be part of an enormous push by the UAE government to see the country lead in the new frontier of AI. This drive had included the appointment of the first AI minister, and the opening of MBZUAI which has grown to over 360 students.
At the Abu Dhabi Government stand at GITEX on Monday, the results of this concerted effort were on full display.
Al Hajji highlighted the various research and development initiatives that looked to change the way the public interacts with healthcare, energy and even media.
“We have the first bilingual Arabic doctors on mobile app, biomedics. You can ask any question you want, especially in remote areas to find a clinic or doctor to treat a disease or treat a sick person, or even to suggest some medicine and diagnose x-rays and MRIs,” he explained.
“We also have the Robo Dog which detects dangers in remote areas, especially in oil and gas fields, where the dangers are, where the fires are. There’s even a fake news detection programme, that gives you analysis of the news on time to see what’s impact of that news on you.”
Al Hajji said these initiatives had been designed and researched locally and hoped to see their rapid deployment in the future. He said they exemplified a commitment to lead by example, and see AI deployed across the board to solve challenges like environmental degradation.
Abu Dhabi was not the only Emirate to integrate machine learning and language models, the Dubai government was focused on using AI to streamline the experience of its residents and the way they interact with services.
“AI has become key in most of our efforts today in Dubai. Right now, we’re launching two services, one where anything you do not know about a service in the government there’s an AI system built into the services app itself, which is aware of your status in terms of the service that you’re looking for your usual habits in terms of applying for services, and it guides you to the correct service,” Khalifa Almarri, Executive Director – Shared Government Services Sector at Digital Dubai, told Aletihad on Monday.
“Another service we’re launching is a service that allows you to report issues to the government. For example, if something needs attendance in terms of fixing or in the instance of a fallen tree, you can simply take a picture and submit it through the app. The full report will be created accordingly with the location, which would allow the government to address that specific issue,” Almarri added.
