Biggest Arabic LLM open-sourced; US restricts AI chip exports
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!
Some big new headlines this week. Firstly, G42’s Inception (formerly Inception Institute of Artificial Intelligence), Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Cerebras Systems announced the world’s most powerful and most accurate Arabic-English bilingual open-source LLM yesterday; Jais 13B.
The news of the new LLM helps consolidate Abu Dhabi’s position as the fastest growing centre of AI R&D in the region. Jais could also inspire a new wave of Arabic GenAI development in the region, as big organisations, developers and technology firms gain access to a reliable open source LLM that delivers Arabic content.
Meanwhile, late yesterday, news media reported that the US government has introduced additional licensing requirements for exports of high-end AI chips to some Middle East countries. Few details are yet available on this.
And there are many other news stories to share today! Scroll down for more AI news from across the region.
Thanks for reading!
/Carrington
Generative AI
Abu Dhabi launches major AI model for Arabic
#UAE #LLMs - Abu Dhabi has announced Jais, a bilingual Arabic-English large language model trained on 13 billion parameters. Developed by G42 company Inception, Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and Cerebras Systems, Jais 13B claims superior accuracy over other Arabic LLMs and is accessible under an Apache 2 licence via Hugging Face. See my LinkedIn post for all the links (The National)
Also read: Will GenAI champion the Arabic language? (Middle East AI News)
Cashcall integrates GenAI with fintech offerings
#Egypt #FinTech - Cashcall introduces Generative AI into its fintech offerings with the introduction of a new AI Competency Centre in Cairo. This move promises enhanced financial inclusion and fraud protection for Egypt. (Egyptian Gazette)
AI Chips
US limits AI chip exports to Middle East
#US #exportregs - US expands restrictions on Nvidia's advanced AI chip exports, targeting not just China but also certain Middle Eastern nations. Nvidia, however, clarifies that the new licensing requirements affect a limited subset of A100 and H100 chipsets. Few details are available publicly about the new regulations or which countries they affect. (Reuters)
R&D
NEOM sets forth on integrated ERI strategy
#Saudi #innovation - NEOM declares its ambition to establish a top-tier education, research, and innovation (ERI) sector, spearheaded by the foundation president of NEOM U, Andreas Cangellaris. The ERI sector, including NEOM U and the Talent Academy, seeks to create a comprehensive education ecosystem. (Saudi Press Agency)
Funding
e& capital backs Ikigai Labs
#UAE #funding- e& Capital took part in the Series A funding round for Ikigai Labs, which champions generative AI for tabular data. The $25 million round, which also included contributions from Premji Invest and Foundation Capital, will propel Ikigai Labs' mission of transforming the use of enterprise AI. (Emirates News Agency)
MALY secures $1.6 million for MENA expansion
#UAE #funding - Dubai's financial wellness platform, MALY, has raised over $1.6 million in its pre-seed round. Funds will boost MALY's AI tech and expand its automated savings app and bank-linked card across MENA. (Zawya)
Digital Transformation
Jordan government achieves 40% digital transformation
#Jordan #digitaltransformation - Jordan’s government has revealed a 40% completion in digitalisation, creating nearly 1,000 digital services. The government app “Sanad” now offers 500 services and is used by 500,000 people. (Jordan Times)
Oman's Shura council elections leverage AI
#Oman #facialrecognition - The Sultanate of Oman's Shura council elections will soon be held with the help of a variety of cutting-edge technologies. The mobile application used for voting not only verifies both sides of citizens ID cards, but also uses facial recognition to provide an additional level of security and transparency. (Oman Observer)
National AI Strategy
Libya explores AI to boost economy
#Libya #AI - Libya's Ministry of Economy and Trade hosted the first meeting of the government’s new Artificial Intelligence Committee recently, which delved into mechanisms of using AI for enhancing national economic and institutional performance. (Libya Herald)
Media
AIJRF releases AI journalism index results
#UAE #media - AIJRF (Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting) has unveiled the Global AI Journalism Index (GAIJI), shining light on the use of AI by leading media organisations. According to AIJRF, Al-Arabiya leads in AI content creation, followed by Al-Jazeera, Bloomberg Asharq, and others. AI big data analysis tools topped usage at 90.7%. (Zawya)
KUNA introduces AI-powered ‘Smart Oasis’
#Kuwait #media - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) unveils its AI-driven newsroom, ‘KUNA Smart Oasis’, aiming to enhance media content quality and production speed through cutting-edge AI tech. (Zawya)
Healthcare
KSU debuts robotic surgery training room
#Saudi #robotics - King Saud University has opened a 12-bed surgical simulation room for robotic surgery, the region’s largest. The facility, which is part of the Experimental Surgery and Animal Laboratory (ESAL), is equipped with surgical robots and other advanced tools, aims to train surgeons in various procedures. (Saudi Gazette)
First automated medicine dispenser
#Saudi #healthtech - The King Salman Armed Forces Hospital in Northwestern Saudi rolls out the globe's premier automated medication dispenser, enhancing patient convenience and medication security. (Saudi Gazette)
Education
ITIDA & Arish University to boost IT skills in North Sinai
#Egypt #STEMskills - Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) collaborates with Arish University in a capacity building initiative. Aimed at enhancing IT skills of students and fresh graduates in North Sinai, it plans to train 600 individuals yearly in computer and language proficiencies. (MCIT)
Aviation
DNATA delivers AI-powered cargo solutions
#UAE #Singapore #logistics - Global aviation services company DNATA has partnered with Speedcargo Technologies to deliver AI-powered cargo monitoring services for Etihad Cargo at Singapore's Changi Airport. Speedcargo's Cargo Eye computer vision can scan and capture a cargo’s exact dimensions, volume data, images, and labels, providing a comprehensive digital record. (DNATA)
Esports
Saudi aims for Esports dominance by 2030
#Saudi #Esports - Saudi Esports Federation is poised to become a global esports contender within the next decade. With projections hinting at 3.7 billion gamers globally, the kingdom aspires for esports to contribute SR50 billion to its GDP by 2030. (Arab News)
Jobs
UAE IT jobs surge by 80% in 2023
#UAE #TechJobs - The IT sector in the UAE is poised for a job boom with a predicted 80% increase in opportunities, according to a report from Equinix. The surge is credited to the growing demand for AI and machine learning talents. (Zawya)
Defence
US, Saudi to conduct second counter-UAS drill
#Saudi #US #UAVs - The US and Saudi Arabia will begin their second round of joint military exercises to counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) next month at the Red Sands Integration Experimentation Centre in Ar Riyadh province. (Al Arabiya)