DUBAI, May 28 : A highly anticipated session titled \u201cAI: Secret Weapon or Your Worst Nightmare?\u201d during the Arab Media Forum received rapt attention from the audience and spotlighted Dubai\u2019s and the UAE\u2019s renewed efforts to harness the vast potential of the path-breaking technology.
\nThe session, held under the auspices of the Dubai Media Council as part of the Arab Media Summit 2025, featured Dr. Marwan Alzarooni, Chief Executive Officer of Artificial Intelligence at Dubai\u2019s Department of Economy and Tourism; and Hamad Al Shirawi, Director of Projects at Dubai Future Foundation.
\nRight at the outset of the session, Dr. Alzarooni put to rest any guesses on AI\u2019s influence across diverse spheres of life, emphatically stating, \u201cAI is here to stay.\u201d
\nThe UAE is taking bold steps to leverage AI, and this marks just a start, he added. On the media scene too, a series of economic initiatives are putting in place a value chain for media content creators, he noted.
\nDr. Alzarooni said it was never too late to join the AI wave and there were opportunities aplenty to upskill through online content and initiatives in the UAE. The onus was very much on individuals to put it to the best use in every aspect of life. Dubai continues to obtain proof of the value AI brings to various government entities, and sectors such as healthcare, property technology, logistics and sustainable manufacturing are among key focus areas, he added.
\nHe also cautioned that the disparity between AI users and non-users would only grow wider with users standing to obtain significantly more granular content, and at scale.
\nThere are industries where the gap between AI users and non-users is already stark, he said, adding that we are heading in the direction of \u2018vibe coding,\u2019 which will see \u2018one-man startups\u2019 effectively carrying out tasks with markedly reduced overheads and payrolls.
\nIn turn, Al Shirawi emphasised Dubai\u2019s and the UAE\u2019s vision to \u2018embrace\u2019 AI. Constantly working alongside public entities to catalogue best use cases involving AI, Dubai is extremely keen to harness the immense possibilities of the technology, he added.
\nHe provided the example of Dubai Police and their use of AI to achieve a 300 percent improvement in solving cases involving lost-and-found possessions. A mundane task prone to human error had been made immensely easier and with superb outcomes by applying AI, he pointed out.
\nAl Shirawi elaborated that the emphasis in Dubai and the UAE was always to take people along when ushering in change, as in the case of AI. He sought to allay concerns around AI, harking back to the scenario when the internet first came along, triggering massive apprehensions of job losses and economic instabilities, until people eventually adapted.
\nHe said it was important to understand challenges and the productivity gains that could be achieved through AI, reaffirming that Dubai was the best place to be where innovation was concerned.
\nHe cited the One Million Prompters initiative as an example of this readiness to be the first mover. The concept was to raise the baseline for AI adoption and empower AI experts based on best use cases from various sectors.
\nIn conclusion, Al Shirawi stressed that AI is no longer a secret weapon and has instead become a must-have arrow in everyone\u2019s quiver, and it is up to people to capitalise on it. His caveat: deciding not to use it might lead to a nightmare situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DUBAI, May 28 : A highly anticipated session titled \u201cAI: Secret Weapon or Your Worst Nightmare?\u201d during the Arab Media Forum received rapt attention from the audience and spotlighted Dubai\u2019s and the UAE\u2019s renewed efforts to harness the vast potential of the path-breaking technology. The […]<\/p>\n
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