Falcon 40B ranked first; UAE launches U-Ask ChatGPT service
Middle East AI News weekly news digest...
Good morning!
And welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!
I’ve again got quite a lot of AI news to share and much of this is related to large language models, or LLMs (once again!).
As you will remember, Technology Innovation Institute - a.k.a TII - made its Falcon 40B large language model open source last week. However, over the weekend the news broke that TII’s LLM had been ranked first in performance for open source models by Hugging Face! Since then, TII has confirmed that Falcon 40B can also be used loyalty free. So, the world’s top performing open source LLM was made in the UAE!
Meanwhile, this week the UAE government has launched a ChatGPT-powered government chatbot called ‘U-Ask’, which aims to answer any government enquiry (such as ‘How can I get a UAE driver’s licence?’ or visa, or business licence etc.).
Scroll down for more AI news from across the region!
Lastly, I made a guest appearance on the TechBurst Asia podcast this week, where we talked about AI in the Middle East, the GCC’s innovation agenda, digital transformation, flying taxis, robotaxis, and of course LLMs! You can listen to the podcast here or check out my Linkedin post for links to all the podcast platforms.
Thanks for reading!
/Carrington
Late news: Do check out the new McKinsey report on ‘The state of AI in GCC countries’
LLMs
Falcon 40B tops Hugging Face leaderboard
#UAE #LLMs - Falcon 40B, the UAE's open-source AI model by Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute (TII), has claimed the top spot on Hugging Face's Large Language Model Leaderboard, beating established models like Meta's LLaMA. (Business Wire)
TII makes Falcon 40B LLM open-source
#UAE #LLMs - The Technology Innovation Institute's (TII) AI model, Falcon 40B, has been made open-source for both research and commercial use. VentureOne, the commercial arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), plans to support viable concepts from the Falcon model. (Business Wire)
Government
UAE government launches AI-powered U-Ask platform
#UAE #government - The UAE Government has rolled out U-Ask, a ChatGPT-powered chatbot for government services, developed in partnership with Microsoft and consulting firm PwC. U-Ask provides access to government service info in both Arabic and English, aiming for a smoother user experience. (Emirates News Agency)
AI-powered Civil Defence readiness room opens in Dubai
#UAE #civildefence - The Government of Dubai has unveiled an AI-powered Civil Defence Readiness Room, a first in the region. This pioneering facility will use scientific analysis and advanced tech to tackle fire-related challenges and implement preventive measures. (Gulf News)
R&D
Google announces UAE AI R&D initiatives
#UAE #sustainability - Google has announced collaborative initiatives with Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, and UAE government’s AI office. (Gulf Business)
Google AI to improve traffic flow in Abu Dhabi
#UAE #transport - Google and Abu Dhabi's transport authority are leveraging machine learning technology to optimize traffic light patterns, reduce air pollution, and enhance traffic flow. This collaboration, dubbed "Project Green Light," seeks to increase the number of green lights. (The National)
AI and blockchain used for flood detection in Saudi
#Saudi #emergencyservices- A study by Saudi Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University under the Saudi Aramco Cybersecurity chairat the university has developed a Smart Flood Detection solution using AI, blockchain, and drones to improve response times and save lives in areas like Mecca. (Lara on the Block)
Cloud
Cloud computing to boost Oman's GDP by $13.7bn
#Oman #cloudcomputing - AWS (Amazon Web Services) predicts that cloud computing adoption in Oman, by public and private entities, could contribute approximately $13.7bn to the GDP over the next decade. (Muscat Daily)
Qatar Airways partners with Google Cloud on AI, Data
#Qatar #aviation - Qatar Airways and Google Cloud have agreed to collaborate on leveraging Google's AI, data analytics, and machine learning solutions to improve customer experiences. (Zawya)
Robotics
Solar PV self-cleaning robot by Omani startup
#Oman #solar - Dymuma Advanced Projects, an Omani startup, developed a solar PV self-cleaning robot aimed at servicing the upcoming mega solar farms as part of Oman's green energy transition. (Oman Observer)
Emirati pupil wins awards for elderly aid robot
#UAE #robotics - Ali Humaid Al Loughani, a Sharjah-based pupil, has received numerous awards for Doctor Robot, a robot designed to help the elderly and disabled maintain contact with doctors. (The National)
PROVEN robotics integrates ChatGPT with Pepper robot
#Saudi #robotics - PROVEN Robotics has incorporated ChatGPT's language technology into Pepper, a humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics, enhancing its conversational abilities. (Tahawul Tech)
Startups
Egypt's Intella relocates to Saudi amid AI boom
#Saudi #deeptech - Egyptian startup, Intella, a leading deep tech company, is relocating to Saudi Arabia, recognising the country's strides in the field of AI, according to the Saudi newspaper Arab News. (Arab News)
Industry 4.0
Abu Dhabi launches $136m fund for Smart Manufacturing
#UAE #Industry4- The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Added) has set up a $136 million fund aimed at aiding small and medium industrial enterprises adopt smart manufacturing technology. (The National)
Healthcare
Saudi Arabia's SPInE initiative aims to boost AI in healthcare
#Saudi #healthcare - The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) has introduced the SPInE initiative, which aims to integrate AI into healthcare in Saudi Arabia. (Zawya)
Drones
Dubai sees first successful drone medication delivery
#UAE #healthcare - Fakeeh University Hospital at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) has completed the first successful trial of medical delivery via drones, positioning it as a leading healthcare institution in the UAE. (Emirates News Agency)
Omani startup launches drone ATM system
#Oman #dronetraffic - Serb, an Omani startup, is launching a drone management system in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority, providing a one-stop solution for legal drone usage. (Oman Observer)
Metaverse
Emirates Group, AWS collaborate on digital experience
#UAE #XR - Emirates Group and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are partnering to develop an immersive Extended Reality (iXR) platform, transforming employee experiences. The new platform will provide 3D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, simulations with photorealistic experiences. (Emirates News Agency)
Culture
Composer settles dispute over AI rendition of Umm Kulthum
#Egypt #music - Composer Amr Mostafa and Umm Kulthum's family have reached a preliminary resolution after Mostafa utilized AI to replicate the legendary singer's voice in a new song. (source: The National)
Featured Podcast
TechBurst Asia Middle East Deep Dive
I was invited on to the popular TechBurst Asia podcast this week to talk to Charles Reed Anderson and Danial Mausoof about AI and emerging tech in the Middle East. It seemed like after 45 minutes we were still only scratching the surface of what's going on around the region!
Listen to the podcast (45 minutes)