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Dubai / WAM
The inaugural Artificial Intelligence (AI) Week Middle East, a first-of-its-kind AI event in the region, got underway on Tuesday in Dubai.
Endorsed by the Dubai Municipality and supported by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention as healthcare host partner, the event takes place during September 4-5 at the Park Hyatt, and dives deep into the field of artificial intelligence, focusing primarily on the government, healthcare and financial services sectors. Microsoft serves as Strategic AI Partner for AI Week Middle East 2018, operating a booth in the exhibition area, delivering keynotes and participating in panel discussions.
AI Week’s launch coincides with a rapid rise in region wide adoption rates for AI-based solutions. In a Microsoft survey conducted recently, 29 percent of enterprise-scale Gulf businesses said they were investigating AI adoption as a means to accelerate digital transformation within their organisations. Specific smart technologies that were also under consideration by respondents were business intelligence (41%), Internet of Things (37%), automated workflow (25%) and predictive analytics (21%). And almost one in seven (14%) enterprises regarded robotics and machine automation as priorities.
“AI Week is the perfect platform, both for companies that are new to AI and for those that have solutions already in place,” said Necip Ozyucel, Cloud and Enterprise Group Lead, Microsoft Gulf. “Newcomers get to explore and assess technologies for best-fit and consult with proven industry experts. AI-equipped companies get to review the direction they have taken in the context of other case studies, and consider their next steps. We are now living through the societal tipping-point of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The choices we make now, as governments, businesses and individuals, will determine our place in the digital future. The intelligent cloud and the intelligent edge form the fulcrum of digital transformation – the ability to engage citizens, patients and customers; the ability to empower employees; the ability to optimise operations; and the ability to reinvigorate entire business models. AI is the natural biproduct of that fulcrum.”