Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and the UAE Public Prosecution launched the inaugural Governance of Emerging Technologies Summit (GETS), running until May 6 at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi.
More than 500 leaders around the world gather at this event to set an ethical and legal framework for artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, as well as Web3 technologies.
Aletihad spoke to several speakers and participants at the summit, including Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC), who spoke about the growth of AI in the UAE.
"In the UAE, thanks to our wise leadership, we are firmly on track to becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence, with major initiatives such as integrating AI into education and expanding its use across daily life and government services."
Acknowledging the challenges that come with such rapid progress, Dr. Al Kuwaiti noted: "Indeed, there are challenges and threats, and we referred in our speech today to some cyber-crimes, such as cyber-terrorism and cyber-wars, which could affect the stability of infrastructure if it is hacked or sensitive data is tampered with."
He commented on the pace at which the tech landscape is evolving: "In light of rapid development, we see new technologies every day: today artificial intelligence, tomorrow quantum computing, then cloud computing, and finally autonomous artificial intelligence systems, which are being closely monitored by key international agencies."
Dr. Al Kuwaiti further explained how the UAE is already laying the groundwork for the Fifth Industrial Revolution through a national strategy of agile governance and innovation.
He added that this strategy also focuses on strengthening cybersecurity, advancing autonomous technologies, as well as building global partnerships to ensure both progress and digital sovereignty.
As a strategic partner of the event, the UAE Public Prosecution highlighted a range of pioneering technological initiatives, "such as an intelligence legal assistant that provides accurate and instant responses", said Khalifa Al Hammadi, Assistant Public Prosecutor.
The digitisation of legislation converts legal texts into analysable digital formats, he explained.
Al Hammadi added: "The digital criminal system which manages cases electronically from the moment a report is filled until a judgement is issued, and the smart prosecution gateway which enables the resolution of minor criminal cases at border points before travel, these projects reflect our vision of enhancing technology and artificial intelligence to serve people and enhance the efficiency of the judicial system."
Dr. Abrar Abdulnabi, Director of AI at Saal.ai in Abu Dhabi, drew attention to the urgent need for regulating artificial intelligence development and deployment during her participation at the summit.
"The whole summit is about how to govern AI implementation and practices. The UAE is making an international call to action: we need to do something about how we govern AI development and implementation," she said.
She noted that the event's overarching theme revolves around creating systems that are "transparent, fair, and implemented without bias", adding, "You have heard many speakers echoing this same concern."
