Egypt's new AI charter; Dubai vertiport design
Egypt's new AI charter; Dubai vertiport design
Middle East AI News weekly news digest...
Good morning!
Here’s your weekly Middle East AI News!
Lots of news to share today, despite the interruption of the Eid holidays!
Architects firm Foster + Partners have just released more visuals of their designs for vertiports in Dubai. If you remember, in February Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum revealed that Dubai will have flying taxis within three years. A couple of vertiport visuals were released at the time, so this announcement provides a few more visuals.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s National Council for AI published an AI Responsibility Charter (download links below). And KAUST researchers create ‘MiniGPT-4’!
Scroll down for these stories and more!
Thanks for reading!
/Carrington
eVTOL
Flying taxi vertiport unveiled for Dubai
#UAE #vertiports - UK architecture firm Foster + Partners has partnered with Skyports Infrastructure to design a ‘vertiport’ terminal for air taxis in Dubai. The terminal would connect popular locations, providing fast, zero-emissions travel, located near Dubai International Airport (DXB). (CNN)
AI Policy
Egypt launches AI responsibility charter
#Egypt #AI - Egypt's National Council for Artificial Intelligence has launched a charter outlining the responsible use of AI. The charter, focusing on five principles, aims to ensure human-centered design, transparency, justice, accountability, and security. It will be reviewed annually for updates. Downloads: Arabic PDF. English PDF (Business Today Egypt)
FNC committee discusses AI policy
#UAE #AIstrategy - The Federal National Council (FNC) Technical Affairs, Energy and Mineral Resources Committee held a meeting to discuss the UAE government's artificial intelligence (AI) policy. The committee plans to draft a report on AI, addressing the required infrastructure and legislation for AI development. (WAM)
R&D
KAUST Researchers Develop MiniGPT-4 AI Model
#Saudi #LLMs - Ph.D. students at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia have developed an open-source AI model called MiniGPT-4. The model is designed to perform complex vision-language tasks such as generating detailed image descriptions, creating websites from handwritten text instructions, and solving unusual visual phenomena. (Tech Briefly)
Gaming
Saudi Arabia, Wemade partner for gaming & blockchain
#Saudi #gaming - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment has signed an agreement with South Korean video game developer Wemade to boost gaming and blockchain industries in the kingdom. This partnership aims to support the national objective of becoming a gaming and e-sports hub in line with the national gaming and e-sports strategy. (The National)
Education
Saudi robotics team wins coding award
#Saudi #robotics - A robotics team from Saudi Arabia won a coding award at the 2023 FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston, US. The prestigious event featured 974 student robotics teams from 59 countries, with Saudi Arabia represented by four teams. (Arab News)
Qatar introduces digital labs at public schools
#Qatar #AIlabs - The Qatar Scientific Club (QSC) is establishing eight digital fabrication laboratories in public schools, providing students with hands-on experience in AI and robotics. In collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), the initiative aims to boost innovation and attract scientific talents. (Doha News)
Tunisian AI team wins at robotics event
#Tunisia #robotics - AnAI team from Tunisia ‘The Champions of Haffouz’ won the top prize at the international FIRST LEGO LEAGUE competition in Houston, Texas. The team was praised for their efforts in robotics and software, bringing honor to Tunisian youth. (World Today News)
Smart Ports
AD Ports Group acquires TTEK for $26.7m
#UAE #DigitalTrade - Maqta Gateway, the digital arm of AD Ports Group, has acquired TTEK, a border control solutions and customs systems developer, for $26.7 million. The acquisition will expand Maqta Gateway's digital trade solutions by incorporating AI, machine learning, and advanced risk analytics for border optimization management. (Gulf Business)
Government
Opaz implements ChatGPT for AI-powered services
#Oman #ChatGPT - Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (Opaz) announced the implementation of ChatGPT to improve service quality, increase internal operational efficiency, and enhance employee performance. The AI-powered service is expected to streamline processes and data analysis for Opaz employees. (Times of Oman)
Defence
Russia uses Iranian drones in Ukraine
Russia #drones - Russia is reportedly using Iranian-made Shahed drones to strike Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The drones are being used to "offset the degradation of Russia's precision munition supply." (Business Insider)
Iran army receives 200 new ‘strategic drones’
#Iran #UAVs - Iran's defense ministry has supplied the army with over 200 new drones equipped with missile capabilities and electronic warfare systems. The domestically-produced drones can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and are designed for reconnaissance and strike missions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)