The origins of AI can be traced back decades, encompassing advancements such as Boolean algebra in the 19th century and Charles Babbage’s vision of a mechanical computer in the 18th century. AFP
The origins of AI can be traced back decades, encompassing advancements such as Boolean algebra in the 19th century and Charles Babbage’s vision of a mechanical computer in the 18th century. AFP
The origins of AI can be traced back decades, encompassing advancements such as Boolean algebra in the 19th century and Charles Babbage’s vision of a mechanical computer in the 18th century. AFP
Dr Mohamed Alloghani is Senior Advisor to the President of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
March 06, 2024
Few technologies have stirred debate quite as much as artificial intelligence.
A significant amount of the uncertainty surrounding AI can be attributed to the flawed idea that it will somehow lead to human beings losing control of our work, lives, society or even our humanity. This misconception has grown around a misunderstanding of how most AI systems work, and confusion around Artificial General Intelligence – the type of AI superintelligence that remains theoretical but has been the inspiration for many science-fiction movies.
The real question we should be asking is this – is it appropriate to compare artificial intelligence with human intelligence? They are fundamentally different – each designed to excel in specific tasks.
AI strives to surpass human capabilities in areas such as content creation and question answering. However, the path it takes to fulfil these tasks differs from human cognitive processes.
While humans learn from small data, use multiple senses and operate with energy efficiency, AI relies on substantial computational resources and vast data to absorb, categorise and transform information into machine-friendly representations.
Over the past 60 years, AI has evolved into a foundational discipline influencing every facet of science and life. It is akin to a future version of mathematics, endowed with the ability to automate operations, operate devices and solve complex problems.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greets US Vice President Kamala Harris on the second day of the UK's Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. Getty Images
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly talks to an attendee. The summit is being attended by industry leaders and government officials. PA
Mr Sunak speaks with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. AFP
Mr Sunak welcomes Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. PA
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with Mr Sunak. Getty Images
Mr Sunak arrives at Bletchley Park on day two of the summit. EPA
Michelle Donelan, front centre, UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with international digital ministers at the start of the AI Safety Summit. Getty Images
King Charles III addresses delegates in a recorded video message. AP
Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation, Georgii Dubynskyi, speaks to Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X. Reuters
Ms Donelan with Omar Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. AP
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Getty Images
Mr Musk attends the first plenary session of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. PA
Ms Donelan greets Georgii Dubynskyi, Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation. PA
Wu Zhaohui, China's vice minister of science and technology, addresses the AI Safety Summit. Bloomberg
Bletchley Park, home of Britain's codebreakers during the Second World War, on the first day of the AI Safety Summit. Getty Images
AI, at its best, will be a sublime tool that gives us unprecedented access to the very best of humanity
The journey of AI has been marked by waves of transformation, adapting to available theories, technologies and the evolving problems that we aim to solve. Modern AI integrates mathematical principles and data-driven empiricism, exemplified by foundational models powering GPTs and similar innovations.
This evolution, fuelled by an unprecedented blend of data, computational power and algorithmic innovation, empowers AI to address challenges in ways unfamiliar to human logic. For instance, ChatGPT demonstrates artificial general intelligence, solving problems and creating content previously regarded as the preserve of human expertise.
Consider, for a minute, why people prefer to see a doctor or physician who is mature and can draw on decades of experience, during which time she or he has encountered thousands of patients. Almost by default, this gives patients greater trust that this particular doctor can extrapolate her or his experience for them and apply it to their specific needs.
The best doctor in the world is only one person, but AI has the power to become the ultimate assistant for healthcare practitioners. It can analyse vast troves of anonymised data, from healthcare records to medical scans, and learn to diagnose illnesses and conditions much more rapidly than a single human being.
By analysing data from millions of cases, AI can detect patterns and provide healthcare professionals with new insights. It can even make suggestions about what might be causing a patient to suffer from symptoms that do not always make sense, even to an experienced doctor.
The heavy lifting that AI performs as it digests and analyses data is based on the work of human medical professionals, which means its insights have been gleaned from the learning, dedication and wisdom of our fellow human beings.
Health care is just one key example of the way in which AI builds on human learning to improve and transform processes, but the same principle applies across all sectors, from manufacturing to agriculture, and logistics to education.
To take one of these examples – education – it is possible to use anonymised data to gain nuanced insights into the effectiveness of various teaching techniques and resources. This is done by analysing how students have performed in tests after using certain resources. This approach can help schools to make more informed decisions about how they implement their curriculums.
But AI also has the power to recognise and assist the individual. For example, it can help to diagnose conditions such as dyslexia, autism and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. These can have a severe effect on a child’s education, but often go undiagnosed.
Fundamentally, AI is rooted in human innovation. Its inception traces back to the 1950s, notably to the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, led by John McCarthy, then an assistant professor of mathematics at Dartmouth College.
This initiative aimed to explore the concepts that form the basis of modern AI. However, the origins of AI can be traced even further back, encompassing advancements such as Boolean algebra in the 19th century and Charles Babbage’s vision of a mechanical computer in the 18th century.
AI’s algorithms have been developed by people, based on a mathematical tradition stemming back centuries, even millennia. It distils the knowledge and wisdom of millions of people for the good of humanity – and the whole process will continue to be overseen by people through the continued development of effective guardrails and regulation, a commitment to transparency, and ongoing public discourse about the direction and use of AI.
Today, we are privileged to live in a time when computing power and communications networks have become powerful and fast enough to support AI. But there have been many false dawns in AI, and it is now time to ensure that the technology reaches its true potential. AI, at its best, will be a sublime tool that gives us unprecedented access to the very best of humanity.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
SQUADS
UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Getting there Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11 What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time. TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
