UAE promises "responsible" use of artificial intelligence systems

The Gulf state aspires to become one of the leading countries in the field of artificial intelligence by 2031.

Dubai aims to make 25 percent of transportation without a driver by

Dubai - The UAE is not only looking for economic benefits from adopting artificial intelligence technology, but also seeks to become a leading country in this field. This was confirmed by the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, in an interview with Agence France-Presse.

The first Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications in the world stressed the importance of a “responsible” introduction of artificial intelligence systems.

"We look at artificial intelligence as a tool," he said. This is a tool we need to use to improve the quality of life.”

Diversification of the economy

Omar bin Sultan Al-Ulama: If you are dealing with something you do not understand, you will have an aspect or an element of fear associated with it.. this is the nature of human beings

The UAE says in its guide to artificial intelligence or “machine intelligence” that it is “a set of technologies that help a machine or system to understand, learn, behave and feel like humans.”

According to the scientists, “Certainly, achieving economic returns is what every country desires and desires as well, but we also want to make sure that artificial intelligence is developed and disseminated responsibly.”

The scientist took over when he was 27 in 2017, and was tasked with leading the country's AI strategy launched the same year.

His appointment came a year after his country created the position of the Ministry of Happiness, then the Ministry of Tolerance.

The UAE says it aspires to become one of the leading countries in the field of artificial intelligence by 2031, creating new economic and commercial opportunities and achieving additional growth of up to 335 billion dirhams ($ 91 billion).

According to the consultancy BWC Middle East, nearly 14 percent ($96 billion) of the UAE's gross domestic product will come from artificial intelligence by 2030.

The scholars point out that "the UAE is the only country that has appointed a person to seriously supervise this file."

The wealthy Gulf state has invested heavily in technology in the last decade as it seeks to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil.

Among these investments is an experiment with self-driving cars in the capital, Abu Dhabi. Dubai says it wants to make 25 percent of all transport without a driver by 2030, which would reduce costs, pollution and accidents.

And it opened the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence last year to students. The UAE says it is the first university of its kind for artificial intelligence in the world. The Gulf state has also launched a number of training and startups in this field.

The scientists explain that a big part of his job is to make sure his country rolls out its AI systems correctly, creating trust and avoiding costly mistakes.

One concern that artificial intelligence raises is that it inadvertently reflects an element of society's bias against certain groups of people, which could be harmful in areas such as public services.

The scholars say that this “necessitates that there is no controversy about the proposal, and it requires that we focus on putting it forward today and in a way that ensures that it will not negatively affect future generations.”

Scientists point out that an important early step was to explain artificial intelligence to senior officials, with the aim of “demystifying” the technology, and reducing the “element of fear.”

"If you're dealing with something you don't understand, you'll have an aspect or an element of fear attached to it, that's human nature," he explains.

“One of the programs is focused on training senior government officials to understand what AI is, understand the ethical dilemma, understand it is good or bad, and how you can remove the element of bias.”

“Today these people are the army of artificial intelligence,” he says. They are the people who are spreading AI across government and they really have a very strong foundation on which to build.”

This month, the UAE also announced a strategy for the digital economy that includes a council headed by scholars, with the hope that the sector will contribute 20 percent of the gross domestic product within ten years.

"I do not think that during the next quarter of a century, there will be an economy in the world that does not depend in most of its economic activities on the digital world, and artificial intelligence is a big component of that," the Emirati minister said.

"I also think we haven't yet seen the actual impact of artificial intelligence on the economy," he adds.