G42, Microsoft launch Responsible AI Foundation

ABU DHABI/ WAM

G42 and Microsoft have officially launched a Responsible AI Foundation, the first centre of its kind in the Middle East.
Along with the support of research partner Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the Responsible AI Foundation aims to promote responsible AI standards and best practices in the Middle East and Global South.
Inception, a G42 company, will serve as the institution’s Programme Lead to help advance its mission. In collaboration with G42, Microsoft also announced the expansion of its AI for Good Lab to Abu Dhabi.
The Responsible AI Foundation is launching with two focus areas:
Responsible AI Research: Advancing both technical and ethical elements of Responsible AI through cutting-edge research. This includes developing AI safety methodologies, bias mitigation techniques, and explainability tools, while fostering collaboration with global and regional research institutions to set new standards for AI fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Responsible AI Implementation & Governance: Developing frameworks to ensure ethical development and deployment of AI systems, accounting for cultural diversity. This will involve designing risk assessment models, external ethics boards, technical audit tools, and adaptable governance guidelines that account for regional needs, ensuring AI adoption is both responsible and inclusive.
The AI for Good Lab in Abu Dhabi, a regional hub of Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, will work with NGOs and governmental organizations to leverage AI to address societal challenges, with a focus on projects in the Middle East and Global South. The first researchers at the Abu Dhabi hub will begin work in March of this year.
With the establishment of the Responsible AI Foundation, and a Microsoft AI for Good Lab outpost, G42 and the United Arab Emirates are cementing themselves as a global hub for responsible AI development.