An unprecedented development has been the UAE’s introduction of an open-source generative AI model. This move, which the government supports, distinguishes a research institute in the UAE as a formidable contender in the global AI competition
The Falcon 2 series was introduced by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi. As per Reuters, this series consists of Falcon 2 11B, a text-based model, and Falcon 2 11B VLM, a vision-to-language model that can produce text descriptions from images. The Advanced Technology Research Council of Abu Dhabi administers TII.
The UAE, a significant oil exporter and regional power, is making substantial investments in artificial intelligence. As a resuU.S. officials became interested in this strategy, which has led to tensions over the use of Chinese or American technology.AI firm G42 secured a US$1.5 billion investment from Microsoft in exchange for withdrawing from Chinese investments and replacing Chinese hardware, a strategic maneuver coordinated with Washington.
As an advisor on strategic research and advanced technology, Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, asserts with pride that the UAE is establishing itself as a significant player in artificial intelligence. Introducing the Falcon 2 series is integral to international and corporate competition to create exclusive significant language variants. While some choose to maintain the secrecy of their AI code, the UAE, similar to Meta’s Llama, is providing public access to its revolutionary work.
Al Bannai, who is also enthusiastic about the forthcoming Falcon 3 generation, conveys confidence in the UAE’s capacity to contend on an international scale: “We are extremely proud of our ability to continue to outperform our limitations and truly contend with the most formidable opponents worldwide.”
Al Bannai reiterated, in light of his previous declarations from earlier this year, that the UAE’s decisive edge is derived from its capacity to execute strategic decisions expeditiously.
Notably, the ruling family of Abu Dhabi oversees some of the world’s most significant sovereign wealth funds, valued at approximately $1.5 trillion. Formerly utilized to diversify the UAE’s hydrocarbon wealth, these funds are now indispensable for fostering the expansion of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies.
Indeed, the United Arab Emirates is positioning itself as a significant participant in the production of cutting-edge computer chips that are indispensable for training formidable AI systems. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, reportedly met with investors, including the manager of Abu Dhabi’s largest sovereign wealth fund, Sheik Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss a potential $7 trillion investment in the development of an AI chipmaker to compete with Nvidia.
Furthermore, the UAE’s recent publication of a guide titled “Generative AI” demonstrates its dedication to developing this field to elucidate the capabilities of AI across diverse sectors such as media, healthcare, and education.
It emphasizes data privacy while providing a comprehensive overview of generative AI, addressing the challenges and opportunities of digital technologies. Comprising one hundred practical AI use cases for entrepreneurs, students, job seekers, and tech enthusiasts, the guide is intended to assist government agencies and the general public in leveraging AI technologies.
The UAE’s proactive approach to the AI competition demonstrates its dedication to leading and participating in it, establishing it as a country to monitor the swiftly developing technology sector closely.
