The Dubai Future Foundation hosted its first ever global roundtable series with the theme “Value of AI and Robotics.” The rountables series were launched as a partnership between GovLab in New York, the Knowledge Centre for Data and Society in Brussels, and Project Syndicate, a nonprofit media organization in Prague. Although the kickoff was hosted in Dubai’s Area 2071, future events will be hosted in the United States and Brussels.
Local and global experts, technology companies, and industry leaders across private and public sectors attended the series to participate in the discussion, which centered around AI, big data, and robotics in the future. Representatives from international institutions also weighed in on how the modern tools could be leveraged to benefit several sectors.
“Hosting the first gathering focused on the value of AI and robotics in Dubai underlines its global leadership in adopting advanced technologies to achieve rapid leaps in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Abdul Aziz Al Jaziri, COO at Dubai Future Foundation. “Through our partnership with international institutions and stakeholders from Belgium and the US, we seek to exchange experiences and establish a global platform to enhance the role of AI and robotics at present and in the future.”
This Fourth Industrial Revolution is being pioneered by a wave entrepreneurs whose access to investors means they no longer have to face traditional bankrolling roadblocks that entrepreneurs of the past faced. Today’s tech startups are creating hardware with combination of tried-and-tried manufacturing must-haves, like tools from Everbilt, and wireless and RFID technology. They’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and thinking outside the box.
Even more notable is that more institutions are adopting third-party technology to propel their agendas in the right direction. For instance, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently signed an agreement Reviver, a California-based smart license plate company, to begin trialing the smart license plate in the country.
“These smart plates will be gradually introduced in Dubai on a trial base, and the technology is set to revolutionise the concept of transportation technology, control and safety,” said Abdullah Yousef Al Ali, CEO of Licensing Agency at RTA. “The plate plays a key role in connecting modern technologies and systems and is considered a game-changer in enabling government and semi-government bodies concerned with transport safety and security to connect with vehicles.”
Artificial intelligence is already playing a big role in Dubai, which is poised to become one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. In October 2017, Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammad noted that he was implementing plans to be one of the most data-driven countries, and expected Dubai to be the most prepared for AI. With these goals, the Dubai Data project was born.
Moving forward, each DFF roundtable will focus on three primary themes: building upon emerging technology infrastructure and ecosystems, leveraging artificial intelligence to capitalize on value across new business models, and explore how new technology can be integrated into traditional business models.
