UAE’s G42, Microsoft to build two AI centres in Abu Dhabi

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UAE’s G42 and Microsoft said on Tuesday that they would build two artificial intelligence (AI) centres in Abu Dhabi, further deepening their ties months after they inked a $1.5bn deal.

The first centre would identify, develop and advance best practices and industry standards for the responsible use of AI in the Middle East and the Global South. It will convene academic researchers and AI practitioners from across the private sector to develop, document and share emerging Responsible AI best practices.

Microsoft will also open its ‘AI for Good Research Lab’ in Abu Dhabi, the US tech’s first in the region, to support social goals, including advancing food security and strengthening climate resilience.

The new lab will harness the power of AI to collaborate with nonprofit organisations and partners to address key economic and societal challenges across the Middle East and Africa. It will work closely with the Lab’s existing team in Nairobi to develop large language models (LLMs) for underrepresented languages, helping bridge the global language divide, the statement said.

The Lab will also focus on advancing food security and strengthening climate resilience by applying AI to high-resolution geospatial data, enhancing disaster preparedness and response capabilities.

“By advancing Responsible AI together with Microsoft, we are creating a framework for AI to serve all of humanity,” said Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42.

“These new centres reflect our shared vision for leveraging technology to solve real-world challenges, positioning Abu Dhabi as a global hub for AI innovation that prioritises safety, trust and collaboration, especially across the global south.”

The moves build on Microsoft’s partnership with G42, which is seeking to become an AI superpower in the Middle East.

“Since Microsoft and G42 launched their partnership in April, the two companies have been executing under the commitments of the Intergovernmental Assurance Agreement, with support and oversight by both the US and UAE governments,” the statement added.

Following Microsoft’s investment in G42, the US tech giant described their assurances to the US and UAE governments as a first-of-its-kind agreement to ensure the secure, trusted, and responsible development and deployment of AI.

The two entities’ compliance committee meets quarterly, and the two teams maintain a weekly cadence for progress reviews.

G42 also said the migration of its legacy public cloud infrastructure to Microsoft Azure began in November 2023 and is continuing as planned.

The AI firm is also collaborating with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, which is looking to expand in the GCC region.

Read: Microsoft invests $1.5bn in UAE’s G42 to power AI adoption