The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, will travel to Washington on Monday for a crucial meeting with US President Joe Biden.
This is the primary visit by a UAE president to the U.S. capital in seven years, and AI is at the center of the talks because the oil-rich Gulf state seeks to reinvent itself as an AI superpower.
However, the UAE's AI offensive, led partially by Abu Dhabi-based G42, has raised suspicions in Washington.
Chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, National Security Advisor of the United Arab Emirates, G42 recently launched “Jais,” which is touted because the world’s most advanced model for major Arabic languages.
However, the corporate's previous ties to Chinese company Huawei have been a bone of contention between the US and the United Arab Emirates in recent months.
For the UAE, nevertheless, AI is just not nearly staying technologically relevant. It is about economic survival in a post-oil world.
“AI and latest developments in cloud computing will change the face of the world,” says Anwar Gargash, Sheikh Mohamed's diplomatic advisor. “We cannot miss such a wave of technological breakthroughs.”
US export restrictions imposed in 2022 hampered the UAE’s AI ambitions. The Biden administration added the Gulf states to an inventory of nations banned from importing advanced US-made AI chips, mainly manufactured by Nvidia, citing concerns about Technology leaks to China.
The United Arab Emirates is currently looking for a technology partnership with the United States and is willing to chop some ties with China in the method.
Microsoft's recent $1.5 billion investment in G42 indicates growing US interest within the Emirates' AI ecosystem. G42 has also announced a partnership with Nvidia for a weather forecasting initiative.
But these steps have increased legal scrutiny. Republican politicians have called for an intelligence assessment of the Microsoft-G42 deal.
In response, G42 CEO Peng Xiao vowed to phase out Huawei technology, saying: “We simply cannot cooperate much with Chinese partners anymore.”
The upcoming agenda between the US and the United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Mohamed and Biden are expected to develop a comprehensive framework for AI cooperation between the US and the UAE. Sources say the UAE desires to set a “roadmap” before the upcoming US elections and hopes to make progress no matter who enters the White House in January.
The talks may even address pressing issues similar to the Gaza conflict, Sudan, climate change and clean energy.
This drive for AI dominance is just not limited to the United Arab Emirates. The oil-rich countries of the Middle East are racing to construct competitive AI industries. The Gulf states have been amongst the biggest buyers of Nvidia chips last yr.
At the start of the yr, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Conclude agreement with the United Arab Emirates for a trillion-dollar, out-of-the-box chip manufacturing strategy.
A Analyst explains in August 2023: “The UAE desires to own and control its computing power and talent, develop its platforms and remain independent of the influence of major players just like the Chinese or the Americans. With the capital and energy resources at their disposal, in addition they attract the very best talent on the planet.”
The United Arab Emirates' AI minister, Omar Sultan Al Olama, looks back on past mistakes: “We over-regulated the printing press… In the Middle East, it was banned for 200 years.” The region is decided to not repeat history on the subject of AI.
Sheikh Mohamed's arguments in Washington show that the stakes are high. Success could put the UAE ahead on the worldwide AI stage, but failure could put it behind.
The final result of Monday's talks could affect not only the longer term of relations between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, but in addition the technological balance of power within the Middle East and beyond.
