Sheikh Hamdan announces AI initiative: 1 million engineers to be trained

Dubai government announced the launch of the world’s first and largest AI prompt engineering training initiative on Tuesday.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) unveiled the ‘One Million Prompters’ programme which aims to upskill one million people in prompt engineering over the next three years.

Sheikh Hamdan unveils AI initiative

“With this global initiative, overseen by DFF, we aim to prepare, develop and empower competencies with the skills needed to harness the potential of AI applications to advance innovation, progress and economic growth,” Sheikh Hamdan said, stressing that keeping pace with technology trends is key to the success of governments and societies.

He added, “We are experiencing a tremendous acceleration in technological progress, which requires new skills in labour markets. Coding was formerly in demand, but today, prompt engineering has become one of the most promising skills.”

The ‘One Million Prompters’ was launched in line with the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence, aiming to accelerate the adoption of AI applications, reported state news agency WAM.

It is the first-of-its-kind prompt engineering initiative to develop expertise and competencies in AI prompt engineering, which involves crafting precise and effective instructions for AI systems to achieve desired outcomes in various tasks, ranging from generating creative content to solving complex challenges.

Accredited certifications

The initiative will follow an extensive programme that includes training courses to upskill individuals in AI and prompt engineering, offering them accredited certifications to validate their expertise and help them stand out.

In addition, it will host various competitions and provide a platform for talents to network and collaborate with experts across the technology ecosystem.

‘One Million Prompters’ was announced as Sheikh Hamdan attended the final round of the Global Prompt Engineering Championship, the world’s biggest AI prompt engineering challenge.

The championship concluded on Tuesday after two days of contests in which participants competed for total prizes of Dhs1m. It was organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) and overseen by DFF.

Also attending the event were Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; Hala Badri, Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture); Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation; and Saeed Mohammed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.