Having an artificial intelligence-based adviser as part of a company's board can have a far-reaching impact on its decision-making, including the ability to see past office politics, experts have said.
Abu Dhabi's International Holding Company, one of the UAE's most valuable listed companies, on Monday announced it will have an AI observer on its board that will help with its decision-making process.
Aiden Insight, developed by G42 in collaboration with Microsoft, will provide the board with advanced data analytics with “insights and risk assessments”, IHC said in a statement.
Using the world’s largest AI supercomputer, Aiden will process and analyse decades of business data, financial information, market trends and global economic indicators.
Aiden will also provide risk assessment, strategic planning support, innovation tracking, and ethical and compliance monitoring.
At board meetings, IHC said Aiden will attend as a non-voting observer, offering real-time insights to inform discussions and guide decisions.
IHC chief executive, Syed Basar Shueb, said the "initiative reflects our dedication to embracing cutting-edge technology and innovation, ensuring that IHC remains a leader in strategic investment and corporate responsibility".
Nancy Gleason, professor of practice in political science at NYU Abu Dhabi, said the decision was an "innovative step in the right direction to embracing generative AI".
"Aiden Insight can provide a valuable brainstorming position for counterarguments that are neutral to office politics," Ms Gleason said.
"Asking an AI to tell you what reasons might exist for not taking a decision is extremely valuable.
"Secondly, AI can process and analyse and make meaning from vast amounts of data quickly. This gives the board more informed and evidence-based options to consider in making their decisions."
Ms Gleason said IHC's decision shows it views generative AI as an important part of its business.
"If you want your employees to take advantage of efficiencies offered by generative AI, then it is important for leadership to do the same," she said.
"AIs such as Aiden Insight can offer data-driven decision options that humans might miss. AI can better predict potential risks and outcomes of various decisions by analysing historical and real-time data."
Sam Blatteis, co-founder and chief executive of The MENA Catalysts, who spent years driving AI policy in the GCC countries at Google, said there are numerous benefits for corporations that use AI.
"The prize is significant. AI can make sense of non-linear trends. If used productively, it gives corporate governance leaders X-ray vision on multiple levels," he said.
Defining role
G42 unveiled its AI supercomputer, the Condor Galaxy, in July, which it said would help to address challenges in health care, energy and climate action. Condor Galaxy is a network of nine interconnected supercomputers that promises to significantly reduce AI model training time.
Supercomputers are far more powerful than general-purpose computers and are typically used to address the most demanding problems in the world, including the development of medicines, the exploration of oil and gas reserves and weather forecasts, among others.
The use of AI is growing exponentially, particularly in work, education and online searches.
Speaking at the 2024 World Governments Summit in Dubai, OpenAI technology chief executive Sam Altman said AI would have a similar life-changing impact to mobile phones.
“The current technology we have is like that very first cell phone with the black and white screen that could only display numbers,” he said.
“It just didn't do much but there was enough in that technology. You could make a call but then it took many decades to the iPhones we have today, and it’s incredible.”
AI will play a defining role across people’s lives, Matt Brittin, president of Google in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told The National in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“It is going to give us special powers that we didn't think we could have had and in our lifetimes. Even in the next five years, I think we'll be doing things we didn't think we could have dreamt up before.”
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Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
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Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
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1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
