MBZUAI releases LLMs; EDGE acquires MARS Robotics
MBZUAI releases LLMs; EDGE acquires MARS Robotics
Middle East AI News weekly news digest...
Good morning!
And welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!
Another very busy week in AI! Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence released its first library of large-language models (LLMs) this week - named the ‘Oryx Library’. You’ll find links to more content, including the link for the GitHub repository in the main article.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund joins $250 funding round of UK-based Builder.ai; Saudia airline signs a big deal with Accenture to create 260 digital services, many of them to enhance the customer journey; PIF and DigitalBridge plan to build data centres across the GCC; and Abu Dhabi’s EDGE Group acquires a majority stake in Jordanian UAV firm MARS Robotics. Scroll down for these stories and more!
This week’s featured video is taken from The National’s ‘Connectivity Forum’ this week, where the UAE minister of AI talks about the need for global oversight of AI research and development.
Thanks for reading!
/Carrington
FEATURED
MBZUAI releases first LLM library
#UAE #LLMs - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has publicly released its first library of large-language models (LLMs) named the Oryx Library, to advance domain-specific applications. The three models are ClimateGPT, Video-ChatGPT and XrayGPT. (Middle East AI News)
Funding
Builder.ai nets $250 million in Series D funding
#Qatar #venturecapital- Builder.ai has announced a $250 million Series D funding round led by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). With more than $450 million raised in total, the company aims to employ human conversation for app building on its platform. (TechCrunch)
Aviation
Saudia and Accenture partner to develop 260+ digital services
#Saudi #digitaltransformation - Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, collaborates with Accenture to build over 260 new digital services, aiming to improve customer experience throughout the travel cycle. This is part of an aggressive digital transformation strategy. (Gulf Business)
Transport
RTA debuts enterprise platform for AI solutions
#UAE #transport- Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled an enterprise platform for developing new AI solutions, benefiting a variety of operations including traffic data analysis, predictive maintenance, and more. The platform has already created over 100 use case solutions. (Dubai Media Office)
R&D
UIR and IAI launch centre for aeronautics, AI
#Morocco #aeronautics - The International University of Rabat (UIR) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are collaborating to establish a centre of excellence in aeronautics and artificial intelligence at UIR, with an emphasis on promoting advanced research and innovation. (Morocco World News)
Deloitte launches AI institute in Saudi Arabia
#Saudi #innovation - Deloitte has opened an AI institute in Saudi Arabia to promote AI adoption and support the country's digital transformation. The institute aims to develop tailored solutions with a focus on generative AI and machine learning. (The National)
Data Centres
PIF and DigitalBridge to build data centres across GCC
#Saudi #datadentres - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is teaming up with global asset manager DigitalBridge. The collaboration will focus on investments in data centres and other areas of digital infrastructure, driving the advancement of the Kingdom's digital economy. (Arab News)
Finance
AI in finance to boost UAE's GDP by AED 103 billion by 2035
#UAE #finance - AI in the financial sector could pump AED 103 billion into the UAE's economy by 2035. This increase is part of the nation's goal to raise the contribution of AI to 14% of its GDP by the end of the decade. (Khaleej Times)
Virtuzone launches AI-powered corporate tax assistant
#UAE #tax - UAE-based Virtuzone has unveiled TaxGPT, the world's first AI-powered corporate tax assistant. Built on OpenAI's advanced language model GPT-4, TaxGPT aims to help businesses navigate the upcoming corporate tax law changes due to take effect on June 1, 2023. (Arabian Business)
AI Policy
UAE advocates for global AI coalition
#UAE #AIregulation - The UAE has called for a global coalition to regulate AI development and use worldwide, likening the necessary oversight to nuclear arms proliferation. H.E. Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, emphasizes the urgent need for global collaboration to police AI. See featured video below (The National)
Parliament pushes for AI ethics and controls in Egypt
#Egypt #ethics - The Education Committee of the Egyptian Senate has approved the issue of a document evaluating the ethics and control of AI in Egypt, aiming to regulate AI applications and reduce the risks associated with its use. (Egypt Independent)
Fashion
AI revives ancient Egyptian styles in fashion
#Egypt #fashion - Tutera, a design community, is using AI to create designs inspired by ancient Egypt, resulting in time and resource savings, as well as a wide variety of unique designs. They've also used AI for a virtual fashion show in the ‘metaverse’. (Reuters)
Defence
EDGE takes majority stake in MARS Robotics
#UAE #Robotics - Abu Dhabi's EDGE has acquired an 80% majority stake in Jordan-based MARS Robotics, a leader in autonomous robotics solutions. The acquisition aims to enhance EDGE's autonomous capabilities and foster collaboration on unmanned systems projects. (EDGE Group)
AI Opinion
US-UAE relations grow through AI
#UAE #USA #diplomacy- The UAE's rapid investment and adoption of AI are significantly affecting the U.S.-UAE bilateral relationship. These advancements present opportunities for the U.S. to deepen and expand relations in the technical space. (Middle East Institute)
Featured video
UAE minister of AI
#UAE #AIpolicy - H.E. Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Digital Economy, AI and Remote Working System calls for global coalition to regulate artificial intelligence, whilst speaking at The National's Connectivity Forum in Abu Dhabi.
Watch the video (1 minute, The National)