President Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday pledged his support for the launch of a UAE-made AI model which is being hailed as the most advanced in the world.
K2 Think – an open-source reasoning model – has been developed by Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in partnership with the capital's AI-focused company G42 and is set to be released in the “coming week”.
The announcement of the platform coincided with the anniversary of the birth of the late President Sheikh Khalifa on September 7, in recognition for his crucial role in championing technology and innovation in the Emirates.
Sheikh Mohamed said the UAE continues to make significant progress in advancing investment in modern technologies and harnessing their power to drive national growth.
What is AI reasoning?
AI reasoning models are viewed as the next frontier in the rapidly-evolving artificial intelligence sector.
The principles behind the model would enhance AI's ability to embrace critical thinking and in-depth decision-making to tackle complex problems and interpret a treasure trove of intricate data, using humanlike logic and thought processes.
State news agency Wam reported on Sunday that K2 Think is primed to be the “world’s most advanced open-source reasoning model”.
“Designed to be leaner and smarter, K2 Think delivers frontier-class performance in a remarkably compact form – often matching, or even surpassing, the results of models an order of magnitude larger,” Wam reported.
“The result: greater efficiency, more flexibility, and broader real-world applicability”
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC), stated that the launch of K2 Think marks an important step in the UAE’s efforts to strengthen its position in advanced technologies and AI.
He praised the collaboration between MBZUAI and G42, in bringing about a significant achievement in the UAE's vision to unleash the potential of AI for the betterment of society.
"The upcoming launch of the "K2 Think" model will mark a significant step in advancing artificial intelligence from the UAE to the world, reflecting our leadership's vision for technological progress," Sheikh Tahnoon said on X.
"K2 Think will combine the efficiency of smaller models with world-class performance and superior inference speeds, surpassing larger systems to set a new global benchmark for open-source reasoning."
MBZUAI said on social media it was “deeply grateful to the UAE’s leadership for their vision and unwavering support in advancing AI, science, and technology”.
The AI partnership will serve to further cement the UAE's position as a global leader in the advancement of AI.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia were named among the top three artificial intelligence superpowers in the world in a report by a US data centre company last month.
The US led the rankings, followed by the UAE and then Saudi Arabia. The Gulf states were placed ahead of South Korea, France, India, China, the UK, Finland and Germany in the analysis, compiled by TRG Datacentres, a Texas-based company focused on national AI supercomputing power, AI company activity and government AI readiness.
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
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Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
