UAE calls for global consensus on artificial intelligence governance

UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Omar Al Olama, encouraged countries to reach an agreement on AI governance sooner than the Paris Agreement, which took years to draft and enter into law.

Al Olama said at the Dubai Assembly for Generative AI that governments need a new way of controlling AI.

“I believe the present global debate on AI governance is doomed. Rather than seeking to manage technology, we can govern use cases,” he said.

During the assembly, which drew over 2000 guests from prominent tech firms and consultancies including Microsoft, Deloitte, PwC, and IBM, the Dubai Future Foundation unveiled the Dubai Generative AI Alliance, a new alliance of tech businesses to help Dubai accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies and construct one of the world’s most advanced and successful tech-enabled governments.

DFF CEO Khalfan Belhoul invited enterprises and innovators to join the alliance, which will focus on establishing novel technological pilots by utilizing AI, the metaverse, and Web3.

The Dubai government also unveiled ‘Dubai AI,’ a generative AI-powered digital city concierge. Residents and tourists will be able to access comprehensive information and services spanning health, business, and education through the city-wide digital platform.

The assembly also heard how the global financial sector may benefit from the surge in generative AI by up to USD 400 billion.

Experts from worldwide tech businesses and consultancies spoke on the global platform. According to PwC, workplace automation is on the horizon, with generative AI anticipated to be capable of performing routine activities such as booking tickets and creating reports autonomously on a wide scale within the next 18–20 months.