The UAE leads the world in the use of artificial intelligence

Vice Chairman and President of Microsoft, Brad Smith, confirmed that the UAE leads the world in the use of artificial intelligence, and is considered a model that the world can benefit from in developing digital competencies.

Smith said in his opening speech today during the “AI Tour” event in Dubai: “There is a country that literally leads the world with 59.4% of the population already using artificial intelligence, a country that uses artificial intelligence more than any other country, and it is the United Arab Emirates.”

He added, “We live in a time full of challenges. There are tensions, debates, disagreements, and even wars between countries, and we have to assume that some challenges will remain with us for a long time. Some of that will always remain unexpected, outside our control. But at the same time, in a time of challenge, there is a world full of opportunities and there is hope. One of the things I love when coming to the Emirates is that I see hope that is increasingly turning into reality, indicating that he sees the Emirates as a beacon of hope.”

He pointed out that the adoption of artificial intelligence is accelerating, but it is not equal globally. He said: “If you look at the study issued by Microsoft, there are some regions of the world where 25% to 35% or even 59% of the population uses artificial intelligence, and there are other regions where the percentage is less than 10%, and sometimes less than 5%.”

He added, “These gaps should make us think about how technology such as artificial intelligence can close these gaps or make them larger, as happened with electricity, which appeared 150 years ago, and 700 million people, most of them in Africa, still do not have access to electricity.”

He stressed that the success of using artificial intelligence depends on specific basics, saying: “There are 8.1 billion people living today on planet Earth, of whom only 1.2 billion are using artificial intelligence at the speed with which it is spreading. You cannot use artificial intelligence as a country, society, or individual unless there is a solid foundation, which begins with electricity. There are 700 million people who do not have access to electricity, so the number automatically decreases to 7.4 billion people, and then you need to connect to the Internet, and there are more than 2 billion people who do not have this connection, so the number becomes Only 5.5 billion, and even if you have electricity and the Internet, you need digital skills, so the number becomes only 4.3 billion.”

Smith pointed out that Microsoft began the week by announcing a major investment between 2023 and 2029. We will invest $15.2 billion to enhance artificial intelligence in the Emirates.

He said, “We will have spent $7.3 billion by the end of December, and the other half will be invested later. The investment included $1.5 billion in G42, more than $5 billion to build artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the rest to support the employment of people and support the network of partners in the Emirates.”

He pointed out that investment is not just numbers, but depends on a strategy and philosophy. Investment is good, but in the end it is related to three elements that come together: technology, talent, and trust.

Regarding the technology focus, Smith said: “If there is a reason for optimism that the future may be better than the past, it is that artificial intelligence will reach the world faster and more equitably than electricity, then major technology companies, including Microsoft, are investing a lot in data centers around the world, including the Emirates.”

Regarding the talent axis, Smith praised the UAE’s vision since 2017, when it appointed the first Minister of Artificial Intelligence, where he pointed out that the first thing the minister did was to establish skills for government workers, stressing that this vision and the investment that the UAE made in this regard can be benefited by the world.

He also stressed Microsoft’s commitment to competencies, pointing to its existing program in the region to qualify one million people by the end of 2027.

Speaking during a dialogue session with G42 Group CEO Peng Xiao, and Microsoft President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Samer Abu Latif, which discussed the next phase of the partnership between the two companies and Microsoft’s recent investment worth $15.2 billion in the UAE, Smith stressed that this investment contributes to strengthening the artificial intelligence infrastructure in the country, developing local capabilities, and expanding growth opportunities across all economic sectors.