Hub71 and e& enterprise, part of e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group), have launched the region's first AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE) in Abu Dhabi. The AI CoE will provide a platform for AI solutions to be built and scaled from Abu Dhabi. By offering resources and expertise, the center is said to transform the future of AI, support a thriving innovation ecosystem, foster local talent, and boost the country's socio-economic growth. The partnership was signed at Hub71's headquarters in Abu Dhabi by Badr Al-Olama, acting chief executive officer of Hub71, and Salvador Anglada, chief executive officer of e& enterprise. Al-Olama said: "The region's first AI Center of Excellence at Hub71 will provide a robust ecosystem for innovative technology ideas to grow and scale, and will allow startups to benefit from Hub71's community, programmes and knowledge sharing platforms." Today, we signed an agreement with #eandEnterprise to develop #AI by launching the first Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence in the region to create a smarter & safer sustainable world through the co-creation of industry-specific and use case-driven (Al) solutions.

The above scenario may not be the stuff of sci-fi blockbusters, but in its own waypoints to an exciting shift in the relationship between citizens and governments. To some degree, we are already seeing this transformation taking shape--government agencies using machines to crunch data, say, or to improve citizen outreach programs. In our daily lives, meanwhile, AI makes countless decisions on our behalf-- though these are rarely more urgent than what to watch on Netflix tonight. The idea that a smart network might, without prompting, take decisive action in order to save human lives, however, is potentially a very big deal. This might be a way off, but the prospect of AI-enhanced government has led to what one observer describes as "a global race among nations," with several Gulf countries--particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE-- very much in the running.