Tuka Alhanai, an assistant professor of computer engineering at NYU Abu Dhabi, is among 40 experts from around the world who have been appointed to serve on the UN's independent scientific artificial intelligence panel.
In a post on X, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres explained the significance of the group consisting of AI experts.
"In a world where AI is racing ahead, this panel will provide what’s been missing – rigorous, independent scientific insight that enables all Member States, regardless of their technological capacity, to engage on an equal footing," he said.
"We now have a multidisciplinary group of leading AI experts from across the globe, geographically diverse and gender-balanced, who will provide independent and impartial assessments of AI’s opportunities, risks and impacts – including to the new Global Dialogue on AI Governance.."
Mr Guterres also said that the independent panel will prove to be a "foundational step" in enhancing the global understanding of AI.
The candidates were chosen after a global open call that yielded about 2,600 nominations, according to the UN.
"I am confident their work will inform collective dialogue on AI, and support decisions based on evidence and solidarity,” Mr Guterres said.
According to her biography on NYU Abu Dhabi's website, Ms Alhanai received her doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
It describes her as "an engineer, scientist and researcher working at the interface of human and computational machinery".
Over the past decade, the UAE has strived to become an AI leader as it diversifies its economy away from hydrocarbons.
The country’s affinity for research into the technology has resulted in the establishment of start-ups, partnerships and investments from industry leaders including Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI.
The UAE has also teamed up with the US to develop an AI campus, which will include 5GW of capacity for AI data centres, in Abu Dhabi.
It was also among the first countries in the world to appoint an AI minister, Omar Al Olama.
