The UAE could rise to number three position globally in the regenerative AI (artificial intelligence) sector globally, after the US and China, developing and supplying a host of AI products to the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, on the back of deployment of massive financial resources, policy initiatives and efforts to attract top talent in the field from around the world by its government, a sector expert said.
The Gulf country could also potentially emerge as a major job creator in this field if domestic companies and organisations efficiently work on seizing the vast potential of this fast emerging technology.
“The UAE stands out as a potentially big beneficiary [of generative AI or Gen AI] with its decision to deploy massive resources, policy initiatives and moves to rope in global talent in the sector,” Jaspreet Bindra, Founder, Tech Whisperer UK Limited, considered as an esteemed technology strategist and thought leader in the AI/GenAI field, told Arabian Business.
“The country has already taken a lead with home grown ventures like G42 creating two world class language models – Falcon and Jais – which are already emerging as among the major such models after ChatGPT and Baidu, and more such products are expected to come up, going forward,” Bindra, who wears many hats – among them as advisor to corporate sector on AI transition and as visiting faculties at ivy league institutions such as Harvard.
He also pointed out that the UAE is the only country with a university for AI.
And Bindra is not only predicting a boom for the AI/Gen AI sector in the UAE but is readying himself to be very much part of the exciting actions with his advisory firm Tech Whisperer gearing up to set up an office either in Dubai or Abu Dhabi to expand its operations into the country.
“The UAE government has given me a golden visa and starting from this summer, I will be spending more time in the UAE to accelerate my plans and various initiatives in the sector,” he revealed.
UAE could emerge as a major job creator in generative AI
Bindra, who recently added one more coveted degree to his long and impressive list of academic achievements – a Master’s Degree in AI, Ethics, and Society from the University of Cambridge, UK – said the UAE could potentially emerge as a major job creator in the AI and regen-AI fields as its government is pursuing initiatives in the sector in a highly focused approach.
“There is no doubt AI – or rather Gen AI – will lead to loss of some jobs, as was the case with computers when they were first introduced at work places.
However, every new technology also creates new jobs – in the case of AI and Gen AI, the potential is huge if companies and governments understand and tap the opportunities they offer, he said.
“It’s like this – a company can either take a call that with Gen AI, we can get the work being done by 100 engineers with just 20 engineers now, or we can use Gen AI to massively increase the output of these 100 engineers – to achieve five times or even more outcome and revenues.”
Bindra, who advises global organisations including PwC and ThoughtWorks on technology, AI, and GenAI strategy, said GenAI per se will not take away any jobs.
“Human beings using AI and GenAI could take away jobs as they work the software much faster.”
He also said he will not be able to predict the kind of new roles which GenAI could produce as it is still evolving.
“Prompt engineers, AI ethics could be some of the new jobs,” he said.
To take some of the reputed Indian universities to set up AI centres in UAE
Bindra said he will be pursuing multiple plans in the UAE in the AI and Gen AI sectors.
“Our advisory firm, The Tech Whisperer, is already in talks with some of the leading players in the corporate sector in the UAE to advise them on their AI and Gen AI transition plans.
“I will also be working extensively in the knowledge area, conducting talks, workshops and sessions to increase awareness and potential of these technologies,” he said.
Bindra also revealed that he is also in talks with some of the “highly reputed” Indian universities to take them to the UAE to set up centres to work in the AI field.
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