The UAE just appointed a "State Minister for Artificial Intelligence"

The United Arab Emirates made a bold move that is perhaps the strongest demonstration of any government's official endorsement of Artificial Intelligence technology.  Last Thursday, October 19th, the Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed announced a new position in the government ministers that focuses on the development of artificial intelligence. The UAE is the first nation with a government minister dedicated to AI. The official title will be State Minister for Artificial Intelligence, and the activities of the position will coincide with UAE’s 2031 AI Strategy, a comprehensive government effort that will integrate all AI technologies in the society. The young appointee is 27-year-old Omar Sultan Al-Ulama, who brings his experience as Deputy Director of the Future Department and now Managing Director of the World Government Summit to the position.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also added that the new phase of governing in the U.A.E. will focus on “future skills, future sciences and future technology, as we prepare for the centenary to ensure a better future for our generations.” The U.A.E.’s focus on artificial intelligence comes as applications of the technology are expected to make a major impact in the near future. Earlier this year, a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that artificial intelligence could potentially contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2031. Though the UAE's Centennial 2071 initiative is quite ambitious, this official restructuring of leadership is undoubtedly laying the foundation for accomplishing the aims set forth. The danger is not in Artificial Intelligence itself, but in countries which take on R&D projects for the technology without putting a solid blueprint in place, in other words, solid integrative approach. The UAE is proving with its recent actions that it can be a model in this domain.Governments around the world are beginning to understand the potential and importance of artificial intelligence (AI). International acceptance has spread with the implementation of AI regulations, as Germany. For others, like the United States (US), incorporating AI begins with recommendations on how to move forward with the tech. In the UAE, however, the government took AI adoption one step further by installing a minister in-charge of AI. As tech companies begin to center their business models around AI, it’s no surprise that a country like the UAE and a city like Dubai, which has invested heavily in technologies that are future-focused, wants to be at the forefront of this development. This government's decision involves a worldwide need for all the companies to move forward and anticipate this technological advance. This is the reason why Zigurat Innovation & Technology Business School has created the Digital Business Global Master, for all the professionals who want to foster their technological and decision-making skills and add a differential value to increase their competitiveness in the global market.