Artificial intelligence is the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as perception, reasoning, learning, decision making, and creativity. AI has been advancing rapidly in recent years, thanks to the availability of large amounts of data, powerful computing hardware, and new algorithms, allowing applications in various domains, such as health care, education, entertainment, transportation, and security, with promising results and potential benefits. However, AI also poses significant challenges and risks that need to be addressed carefully and responsibly.

Omar Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, who became the world’s first AI minister in 2017, said the world urgently needs to come together to police AI, for if any country goes off on a wrong tangent, the entire world will pay the price. He therefore called for a global coalition to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence around the world, comparing the oversight needed to how nation states are monitored for nuclear arms proliferation.

Some of the current controversies surrounding AI include:

• The impact of AI on the job market. Some experts argue that AI will create new jobs and opportunities for human workers, while others warn that AI will outperform humans in most domains and reduce the demand for human labor.
• The development of human-level AI. AI may eventually achieve or surpass human-level intelligence. Some experts predict that this may happen during this century, while others doubt that it is possible or achievable. The implications of human-level AI are profound and uncertain, as it may lead to an “intelligence explosion”, where AI systems recursively improve themselves and create super-intelligence that exceeds human comprehension and control.
• The ethical and social issues of AI such as fairness, accountability, transparency, privacy, safety, and human dignity.

In conclusion, AI offers great for humanity and UAE is at the forefront of this powerful and transformative technology. But it is also important to foster a constructive and inclusive dialogue among researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and the public to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a way that aligns with human values and interests.