DUBAI — The UAE remains committed to embracing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions across various sectors, said Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications at a meeting of the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain.
Al Olama, who is also chairman of the council, highlighted that this commitment is driven by the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.
The Council aims to accelerate the digital transformation process and enhance performance standards, therefore bolstering the readiness and competitiveness of the UAE. Key members of the Council were in attendance, including representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Education for Academic Affairs, among others.
“The UAE government prioritizes keeping pace with global advancements to proactively address opportunities and challenges,” said Al Olama. This priority includes fostering collaboration among government entities, aiming to expedite the UAE’s digital transformation, and harnessing technology to design innovative models for a sustainable economy.
The Council is currently focusing on the second phase of its work, which encompasses the adoption of AI initiatives to develop AI systems and enhance the UAE’s competitiveness in priority sectors. This phase aims to improve wellbeing, enhance performance, and establish an effective legislative and regulatory environment, primarily through the development of AI-powered customer services.
The meeting included review and discussions on various ongoing initiatives, including the workflow of unified data platforms and centralisation of federal and local authorities, the development of self-driving vehicles, the UAE’s foreign trade smart programme, and data security issues. The Council also discussed challenges related to data sharing and emphasised the need for secure data sharing efforts.
The Industry Committee announced the completion of several projects and reviewed the Empowerment Centre programme and Make it in the Emirates initiative, aimed at promoting industrial sector growth. The Health Committee announced the completion of various initiatives, including the “Tatmeen” platform, which aids efficient tracking of medicines from production to patient use.
The Blockchain Committee made progress in educating the community about services offered via digital wallets, aiming to enhance awareness and wellbeing. The Data Sharing committee specialised in AI training discussed the mechanism for developing their AI Project. The Artificial Intelligence Adoption Committee reviewed the latest statistics on AI initiatives in government services, including the unified Chatbot platform.
The UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, relaunched in 2021 after its initial establishment in 2018, continues its mission to enhance AI utilization efforts, develop blockchain, and drive the promising sector in new ways that enhance performance, work models, and have positive societal impact.