UAE and US share a burgeoning relationship in the evolving artificial intelligence field

The US has approved the sale of cutting-edge Nvidia chips to G42 – the firm at the centre of the UAE’s efforts to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, according to media reports. The approval came earlier this year but has not been reported yet.

It is nothing but a major milestone for the tech ambitions of the UAE and the broader Gulf region. The area is becoming an increasingly important technological hub. But the Biden administration certainly has concerns about the possibility of an intrusion.

UAE making long-term investments in tech innovations

The effort has been years in the making. Long before ChatGPT attracted unprecedented attention and global demand for Nvidia’s most advanced chips exploded, the UAE has been putting substantial efforts into becoming a global leader in the field.

The UAE has made significant, long-term investments in innovations that protect sensitive data, making it difficult for anyone to access. Older data centres have been stripped of any parts carring ties to China, even if those parts are unplugged and not being used anymore.

Earlier this year, G42 and Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion strategic investment by the tech giant in the Emirati firm. The deal is aimed at ensuring the benefits of secure artificial intelligence technologies and cloud capabilities are responsibly shared globally.

The crucial investment made global headlines. It is set to strengthen the companies’ collaboration on bringing the latest Microsoft artificial intelligence technologies and skilling initiatives to the UAE and other countries.

Today, in partnership with @G42ai, we are announcing a $1B investment in Kenya which represents the single largest and broadest private digital investment in the country’s history. It reflects our confidence in the country, the government, its people, and the future of East… pic.twitter.com/3e9dtwlMH4

— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) May 22, 2024

The bigger picture – becoming a leader in the tech sector

Microsoft President Brad Smith has also joined G42’s board of directors. Behind the scenes, G42 has been putting a lot of efforts into building advanced data centres secure enough to satisfy the different demands of the US Department of Defence officials.

The bigger picture is that as the UAE starts building some of the largest data centres across the globe – entities it can run on nuclear energy – it can unlock even more of the country’s potential to become a leader in the evolving technological landscape.