Abu Dhabi: Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has hosted an AI Armchair series in Abu Dhabi with 300 students from UAE schools and MBZUAI. The event was aimed at explaining generative technology and demonstrating its potential for creativity.
The event treated students to an interactive storytelling demonstration on Jais, the Arabic large language model (LLM) launched in August 2023 by G42’s Inception, US-based Cerebras Systems, and MBZUAI. At a survey conducted at the event, 77 percent of participating students, aged between 12 and 15 years old, said that they believe their generation will require AI skills to secure employment after completing their education.
We hope the bright young people we met will be among the future students of MBZUAI. As one of the only countries in the world with an AI strategy at the heart of its national vision, increasing AI aptitude and literacy among its youth is a vital aspect of achieving the emirates’ long-term economic and social goals. Through events such as the AI Armchair, we are elevating the discussion around AI’s benefits with the public, one conversation at a time.
Mr. Sultan Al Hajji, Vice President of Public Affairs and Alumni Relations at MBZUAI, shared.
At the event, Mr. Hao Li, Associate Professor of Computer Vision at Mohamed bin Zayed University and Director of MBZUAI’s Metaverse Centre, shared a brief history of AI, its growth through automation and autonomy, and how this technology is benefiting both consumers and industries. Furthermore, Professor Li demonstrated ways in which AI is making people’s lives better by automating tasks and freeing up human ingenuity for more complex and creative endeavours.
Mr. Marco Tempest, a creative technologist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a director’s fellow alumni of the MIT MediaLab, discussed some of his work with transformative technologies, including the metaverse, robotics, and AI, to create unique experiences.