Dubai to hold generative AI challenge offering Dh1 million to winners

Global Prompt Engineering Championship described as 'largest challenge of its kind'

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced a Global Prompt Engineering Championship. Photo: Wam

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, has announced plans for a challenge focused on generative artificial intelligence, with the winners set to receive a total of Dh1 million ($272,290) amid the emirate's shift towards the future economy.

The Global Prompt Engineering Championship will be held in May next year at Dubai’s Museum of the Future.

In the context of AI, a prompt refers to a specific request made to a language model such as ChatGPT, which can in turn provide a response or solution for a user.

“The Global Prompt Engineering Championship is aligned with Dubai’s efforts to become a destination for leading talent and a platform for generative AI start-ups,” said Sheikh Hamdan.

“The competition is launched in line with our leadership’s directives to develop generative AI solutions and unlock the potential of this futuristic sector.”

The championship is being organised through the Dubai Future Foundation and Dubai’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence.

The first day of the two-day conference will focus on selecting the top 30 prompt engineering programmers who will participate in the final phase on the second day.

The programmers will then be divided into five groups, each competing in categories of literature, art and coding.

Completed projects will be evaluated by a specialised committee factoring in speed, quality and accuracy.

In line with our commitment to make Dubai a global hub for talent and a launchpad for startups in Generative Artificial Intelligence, we have launched an international AI challenge. Blazing a new trail in this emerging technology, the world's largest challenge of its kind,…

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) November 5, 2023

Last month, a top executive with PwC Middle East noted that the UAE was leading the GCC’s “enthusiasm” towards the use of generative AI.

The Emirates “has demonstrated its readiness for exponential change, emphasising that AI is not eliminating jobs but rather transforming them”, Ali Hosseini, chief digital officer and partner at PwC Middle East, said on the sidelines of the Dubai Assembly for Generative AI.

According to a report by Goldman Sachs, investment in AI could reach $200 billion globally by 2025.

Experts, analysts and government officials have been trying to embrace the promise of AI over the last several years, while at the same time addressing the concerns from economic disruption to cyber security vulnerabilities.

Updated: November 06, 2023, 11:27 AM