UAE council, Blockchain discuss adoption of AI tech

DUBAI / WAM

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, stated that the UAE leadership believes in fostering collaboration between federal government entities and local government entities, as well as building stronger ties with the private sector, aiming to enhance collective national endeavors towards the development and implementation of cutting-edge digital technologies.
This came during the first meeting of the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain held at the Ministry of Finance in Dubai that witnessed the attendance of the council’s members.
Omar Sultan Al Olama said that the UAE government remains dedicated towards advancing its operational frameworks, pioneering proactive resolutions to challenges, and expediting the process of digital transformation to consolidate a blueprint for the UAE that embraces futuristic technologies, and strives to cultivate a preeminent digital economy that empowers the country’s position and bolsters its international competitiveness in the fields of enhancing digital infrastructure.
Younis Haji Al Khouri, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, and member of the Council, emphasised the Council’s pivotal role in advancing the adoption of artificial intelligence technology and digital transactions across all critical sectors in the UAE. He highlighted that the council’s efforts in developing innovative futuristic models and keeping up with the fast-paced global changes aim to expedite the digital transformation process and provide the best opportunities for future generations.
He added: “The Ministry of Finance is committed to collaborating with all relevant entities to accomplish the Council’s objectives and fulfill the visionary leadership’s ambitions of positioning the UAE as a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2031.”
During the council’s session, progress and key accomplishments of the 12 sub-committees operating under its purview were reviewed, along with updates on the implementation of 60 initiatives within the second phase of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The members deliberated on their strategies to foster the adoption of artificial intelligence in vital sectors, while encouraging competition among government entities. The council’s top priority was to establish artificial intelligence as a fundamental working model and a crucial tool in digital transactions across various sectors, including healthcare, energy, natural resources, blockchain, industry, transportation and logistics, and tourism.
The UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain is currently focusing on the activation in the second phase of its work, which aims to adopt artificial intelligence initiatives to embrace it’s technologies in government entities, develop AI systems, and increase the UAE’s competitiveness in priority sectors through the development of AI in the areas of customer services, in a way that contributes to improving the wellbeing, enhancing performance, and establishing an effective legislative and regulatory environment.
Under the leadership of Mohammed bin Taliah, the Government Services Committee discussed the extensive list of initiatives related to the adoption of artificial intelligence in government services. The listing exceeded 140 initiatives, with the objective of spreading knowledge and improving competitiveness among entities. The committee also launched the AI adoption guideline in government services to enhance awareness among government entities about AI, coordinate efforts, and accelerate adoption while keeping pace with the latest advancements in AI utilization in government services.
The committee engaged in a discussion on the latest advancements on developing an advanced tool that measures the level of AI maturity in government agencies. The tool is designed to evaluate the current status, establish the objectives of AI maturity, and identify the primary challenges, requirements, and recommendations for developing capabilities and advancing maturity to the next level in the of government services.
The model comprises the five AI maturity stages, namely exploration, experience, practice, professionalism, and transformation. It also encompasses six principal dimensions that must be improved and synchronized, namely vision, strategy, usage cases, data, digital infrastructure, employees, and governance.
The Health Committee, led by Dr. Mohammed Salim Al Olama, has presented the most recent advancements in the “Riayati” digital platform. The objective of this platform is to transform the health care landscape in the UAE by improving the quality of health care services through the enhancement of secure services. It is designed to focus on data quality, proactive disease follow-up, improved accessibility to data and enhance well-being by providing exceptional health care services to the community.
In the meeting, the committee also announced that the digital platform now holds a total of 2 billion medical records, encompassing 9.5 million patients. Furthermore, it was revealed that the platform has successfully connected over 90,000 healthcare providers across more than 3,200 healthcare facilities throughout the UAE, aiming to facilitate the exchange of health information using secure digital networks, which has enhanced the quality of the health system by allowing for the provision of integrated services.
The UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain was re-formed in 2021 after its launch on February 26, 2018, with the aims to enhance efforts to adopt artificial intelligence initiatives, develop blockchain, and lead the new promising sector in new ways that enhances performance, work models, and reflects positively on societies.