UAE's AI-focused university sees tech as a global positive force

DUBAI: The idea of artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for a long time, but in recent decades it has gone from being the stuff of science fiction to something tangible and beneficial. Sir Michael Brady is the interim president of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), an Abu Dhabi-based AI-focused university -- the first of its kind in the world. "Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and many more have contributed to AI's position in today's spotlight," he said. He added: "We have moved from the use of AI in large-scale industry or ground-breaking circumstances, such as NASA space exploration or factory robotics, to commonplace applications such as advertising algorithms or Netflix suggesting what show to watch next." As society transforms under the impact of technology, AI is also rapidly evolving.