The first minister dedicated to developing artificial intelligence (AI) strategy worldwide is finding himself in the middle of a global power struggle for tech supremacy. Microsoft recently announced a $1.5 billion investment in G42, an AI group based in Abu Dhabi, chaired by a member of the ruling royal family. Analysts believe this move was influenced by the Biden administration’s efforts to limit Beijing’s influence in the region and maintain the US’s lead in the AI race.
UAE AI Minister Omar Al Olama, appointed in 2017, expressed optimism about the alignment between the UAE and the US in advancing these technologies. G42, a conglomerate of seven companies spanning various sectors including data centers, energy, healthcare, surveillance, and biotechnology, is led by Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s national security adviser. The UAE aims to diversify its economy away from oil, with AI projected to contribute $96 billion to the economy by 2030.
Al Olama is focused on making the UAE a global AI leader by 2031. The country has laid out a national strategy to achieve this goal, including deploying AI in key sectors like energy and logistics, developing an ecosystem, and attracting talent. By September, the UAE had 120,000 people working in AI or related industries, a significant increase from two years earlier.
The UAE’s close ties with the US have not gone unnoticed. The Biden administration is implementing measures to slow down China’s progress in AI, including export controls on key technologies. Some US politicians have raised concerns about the deal between G42 and Microsoft, fearing that US technology could be at risk of Chinese espionage.
Despite these concerns, Al Olama reassures that the UAE is a trustworthy partner. In late 2023, Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute unveiled Falcon10B, a language model outperforming offerings from Google and Meta. Additionally, a collaboration with Cerebras Systems and Inception produced Jais, a generative AI model trained in Arabic and English, opening up AI technology to developing nations.
As discussions around regulating AI technology intensify, Al Olama advocates for a global coalition to ensure responsible development and use of AI. With fears mounting about the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems, he emphasizes the need for guardrails to prevent catastrophic outcomes.
