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UAE minister draws on the past to seize possibilities of AI future

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Omar Al Olama, the UAE’s minister of artificial intelligence, laid out his country's approach to AI, stating, “We do not believe that we need to wait and be followers in the AI revolution. We need to take the lead.”
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As the United Arab Emirates’ minister of artificial intelligence (AI), Omar Al Olama may have one of the most exciting and impactful portfolios in the Middle East: how to embrace the promise of artificial intelligence while avoiding the perils of missteps amid the AI revolution. 

The UAE, recognizing the vast potential of AI and in line with its forward-thinking approach to governance, appointed Al Olama the world’s first AI minister in 2017. “With our leadership today, we are blessed to have this vision,” said Al Olama, in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor conducted Sept. 28 at the UAE’s Mission to the United Nations in New York. “We do not believe that we need to wait and be followers in the AI revolution. We need to take the lead.”

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