Deals, ambitions, talent pool: UAE on the path to becoming global leader in AI

The UAE has long been a trendsetter in the evolving space of AI. It appointed the first AI minister globally in 2017. Omar bin Sultan al-Olama took on the role at the age of 27, accepting the task of turning the country into an AI powerhouse by 2031.

Last month, Microsoft announced a plan to invest $1.5 billion in G42, a leading AI firm in the UAE. But the deal represents just a small portion of the Gulf state’s mission to become a leader in the sector. The UAE has been putting considerable efforts to diversify its economy.

OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, is a prominent name in this space. Its Chief Executive recently said the UAE “has been talking about AI since before it was cool.” But besides the entrepreneur, several other tech moguls have also been noting the UAE’s deepening focus.

UAE’s journey in the evolving AI landscape

“I am hopeful that the region can play a central role in this global conversation,” Sam Altman of OpenAI highlighted during his September visit to the Emirates, adding the country could serve as the world’s “regulatory sandbox” to test innovative AI technologies.

In addition to Microsoft and OpenAI, G42 has made partnerships with IBM, Nvidia, Oracle, Dell and Cerebras. The agreement involving Cerebras is aimed at building “the world’s largest supercomputer for AI training,” reported Economy Middle East.

The UAE’s journey in the evolving AI landscape is also supported by the creation of an AI investment firm MGX. It came into existence last March – created by the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC).

MGX is focusing on enabling the advancement and deployment of cutting-edge technologies to improve the lives of current and future generations. Both G42 and Mubadala, one of the UAE’s largest sovereign funds, have been appointed as MGX’s foundational partners.

Falcon LLM announces arrival of UAE in AI scene

Backed by its ambitions, the UAE has also been creating ripples on the software front. Last September, the Advanced Technology Research Council’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) released the Falcon large language model (LLM) in a prominent move.

Essentially, LLMs are machine learning models that are capable of comprehending and generating human language text. They serve as the backbone of AI tools such as the popular ChatGPT. Falcon was released under an open-source licence.

One of the key objectives of open-sourcing the Falcon LLM is to make it available to researchers across the globe, in an effort to help the UAE attract top talent. Estimates suggest there has been a massive influx of tech personnel in the Gulf state since 2021.

Read More: Can UAE become a leader in AI sector? Let’s hear Sam Altman