Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said the UAE has become a 'significant player' in the global governance of AI. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said the UAE has become a 'significant player' in the global governance of AI. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said the UAE has become a 'significant player' in the global governance of AI. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said the UAE has become a 'significant player' in the global governance of AI. Chris Whiteoa

UAE's new international AI policy aims to prevent misuse of technology


Alvin R Cabral
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE has introduced an international policy on artificial intelligence to help prevent the misuse of the technology as it undergoes rapid growth among consumers and economies.

The UAE Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, approved the five-point policy, which is centred on six principles – advancement, co-operation, community, ethics, sustainability and security – aligned with the Emirates' AI strategy, the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

Under the policy, the UAE will participate in international forums to help develop the use of AI, advocate for transparency to enable governments to enforce ethical and accountability standards, and support the establishment of international alliances for governing AI systems.

It will also aid in implementing international regulations that hold countries accountable for developing AI tools that could cause harm or destabilisation, while ensuring AI security, privacy protection, and data safety. It will encourage the responsible use of AI applications through joint research and development initiatives aimed at promoting peace and stability regionally and globally.

The UAE government already plays a key role in helping shape global AI governance frameworks and international policies with “proactive” contributions to multilateral platforms, said Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.

“The UAE has become a significant player in the global governance of AI, actively contributing to international policy discussions and helping define the standards and frameworks that will shape the future of AI.”

The UAE has long championed the use of AI and is a first mover when it comes to the technology – especially today when generative AI and other related innovations are rapidly growing.

The country has rolled out several initiatives following the unveiling of the UAE Strategy for AI in 2017, which kick-started the creation of smart systems for services in key sectors. Mr Al Olama is widely recognised as the world's first AI minister.

In May, the cabinet approved the establishment of a chief executive for AI in all major federal entities, which experts said highlights the level of preparation required to achieve long-term benefits and position the country as a technology leader.

The new policy is expected to boost the UAE’s position as a leader in the development and use of AI, “enhancing trust with its strategic partners”, said Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology.

By aligning the UAE's new policy with global AI standards, "we enable local stakeholders, including private enterprises, research institutions and others, to tackle the challenges of AI on an international scale".

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Scoreline:

Barcelona 2

Suarez 85', Messi 86'

Atletico Madrid 0

Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)

UAE squad

Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.

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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Range: Up to 610km

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Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

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Rating: 4/5

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How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?

If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.

Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.

Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.

Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).

Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal. 

Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.

By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.

As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.

Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.

He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.” 

This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”

Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.

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Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

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The five new places of worship

Church of South Indian Parish

St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch

St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch

St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais

Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais

 

UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP

Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan

Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
How it works

A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank

Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night 

The charge is stored inside a battery

The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode

A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes 

This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode

When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again

The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge

No limit on how many times you can charge

 

War and the virus
Updated: October 11, 2024, 1:08 PM`