UAE Embracing AI To Accelerate Digital Transformation Into Various Sectors : Minister

Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, discussed the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s commitment to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various sectors to bring digital transformation to the country.

The minister, who also serves as the Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office and Chairman of the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, held a meeting on Sunday where he shared that under the leadership of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE is working towards incorporating various AI solutions and tools in several sectors, with an objective of accelerating the digital transformation process.

According to the minister, these AI solutions and tools will prepare the country to forge new opportunities and help to design innovative models for a sustainable economy, WAM reported.

Minister Sultan Al Olama disclosed that the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain is currently focusing on the second phase of AI solutions, which includes incorporating AI in government entities, developing AI systems, and improving the UAE's competitiveness in priority sectors with the help of Al-powered customer services.

Moreover, the Energy Committee reviewed the project's workflow during the meeting in order to bring the centralization of federal and local authorities under one platform. The Transportation and Logistics Committee, on the other hand, is working towards the self-driving vehicles project.

The Foreign Trade Committee discussed data security issues in the mechanism of the UAE's foreign trade smart program after AI features are incorporated into the trade sector.

During the meeting, the officials noted the challenges associated with the new technology and emphasized making data sharing secure.

Aside from that, the Artificial Intelligence Adoption Committee reviewed the AI initiatives taken in the government sector. Last month, the UAE upskilled more than 170 government employees in Dubai with Generative AI.

This upskilling program consists of seven main pillars that cover the basic of Generative AI, its current applications, and how it has been successfully used so far. Moreover, the course also includes other AI tools such as ChatGPT, and how it can be used in the process of decision-making, establishing new companies, enhancing economic competitiveness, and developing creative sectors.

While the UAE government is working towards technology advancement in government entities, the country is equally concerned about cyber-attacks and hackers.

To ensure safety, the UAE has joined hands with Israel and created a platform named Crystal Ball alongside other cyber leaders around the globe to fight against hackers and ransomware.