The artificial intelligence-powered solution for the agriculture industry consists of … said the students pursuing masters in machine learning.

Free to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) pods that will do quick health scans for the public and give immediate results will be set up across Dubai in a few months. At least 44 pod units will be ready by mid-August and soon be set up across at malls, clinics, corporations or other places with a high footfall, said Tariq Hussain, CEO of Bodyo, the company that has conceived and assembled the health pods in the UAE. The company has the capacity to produce 350 such pods. "These are the first such kind of AI pods designed in the UAE," said Tariq, adding that "only the RnD had been done by the biomedical scientists in France". The project was presented as part of the fourth Future Accelerators Cycle being held under the Dubai Future Foundation showcasing innovation in healthcare.

Machine learning has been around for quite a while. But are you actually taking notice of it? A large number of systems run on this application of artificial intelligence, which basically, as defined by Forbes, is giving machines access to data and let them learn from themselves. "Machine learning is a huge game-changer," Patrick van der Smagt, director for artificial intelligence at German powerhouse Volkswagen, told Khaleej Times on the final day of Artelligence - The Artificial Intelligence Forum 2018 in Dubai on Thursday. Artelligence was presented by--Khaleej Times, the UAE's first English-language newspaper, and MIT Sloan Management Review GCC, with Smart Dubai as the official government partner.

Key players and experts from the artificial intelligence realm gathered in Dubai on Wednesday at the start of Artelligence - The Artificial Intelligence Forum 2018 - to discuss various topics surrounding the technology and how societies can benefit from it. AI investments in the UAE is expected to hit Dh33 billion in 2017, with the figure growing over 70 per cent over the past 3 years. Business Insider says the government would be using AI to account for around 50 per cent savings in costs. "You need to get your feet wet with AI," Wesam Lootah, chief executive officer of Smart Dubai Government, said in his keynote speech. "AI is not something for tomorrow; it's available today. The possibilities are there, and it can touch every aspect of life."

The kindergarten students who entered the school gate for the first time in 2017 will be graduating by 2030. These students and the young people to finish school over the next two decades will be the workers of 2040. Developments in AI are one of a number of interrelated --megatrends-- changing the nature of the labour markets across the world. The profound changes ahead demand an education approach that will provide young people with enduring capabilities and skills to harness the opportunities of technological change. There is significant uncertainty about the full impact of artificial intelligence and automation on employment but the effects are already starting to be felt.

Dubai Police and Dubai Customs held the first forum discussing ways of preventing drug smuggling into the UAE through land, air and sea ports using cutting edge technology. According to the Khaleej Times, Brigadier Abdullah Ali al-Ghaithi, Director of the General Department of Organizations Protective Security and Emergency (OPSE) of the Dubai Police, said that they are considering using artificial intelligence to secure airports, shipping ports and road borders from smuggling illegal goods. Officials from both entities said they are using high-tech means to detect hiding places that smugglers use for drugs that include teddy bears, their bodies and even almonds. The newspaper reported them saying that one of their latest security programs is the'Alarm Clock'. Effective at airports across the UAE, the program can quickly detect contents in luggage.

The Cabinet has adopted the formation of the'UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence' to ensure the implementation of these technologies in various sectors. The move aims to serve the UAE Government's objectives, and improve the quality of life of citizens and residents in order to achieve the vision of the UAE 2021 and make the UAE one of the best countries in the world by 2071. The council's formation is a reaffirmation of the UAE Government's keenness to move forward in the use of artificial intelligence and its applications in various fields to improve government performance and create innovative work environments to accelerate the development projects. The formation of the council follows the appointment of a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in the recent formation of the UAE Cabinet, the launch of the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and the UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The council will study and identify the government sectors where artificial intelligence technology can be incorporated and make recommendations for the development of related infrastructure, in addition to the integration of artificial intelligence in different stages of education.

Paladion, a global cyber defence company that provides AI-Driven Managed Detection and Response Services, will participate in Artelligence Forum as a Silver Sponsor. The event, which is scheduled to take place on April 25 and 26, 2018 in Dubai, is presented by Khaleej Times and MIT Sloan Management Review GCC to bring government leaders, business leaders and technology innovators together to explore the applications of Artificial Intelligence across different industries. Paladion is consistently rated and recognised by independent advisory firms for its capabilities in Artifical Intelligence in Cyber, Security Automation, and next generation cyber security. Speaking about AI in cybersecurity and this initiative by Khaleej Times and MIT Sloan Management Review GCC, Amit Roy, EVP and Regional Head EMEA, Paladion, said, "Cyberattackers are leveraging AI to increase the speed, volume, and sophistication of attacks. Enterprises must evolve to combat such threats. Enterprises today must recognize the ineffectiveness of a rules and signature-based defence on modern attacks, and adopt AI driven cyber security to defend against AI based cyber threats. Paladion's AI-driven MDR Service offers the only way to collect, analyze, and process the massive volume of data produced by AI-driven cyberattacks. We are excited to showcase our AI-driven cyber security service at the Artelligence Forum."

It is no coincidence that Bill McDermott, CEO of German software colossus SAP, was invited by the government of Dubai to be a keynote speaker at the World Government Summit. McDermott will share the podium with world leaders, the president of the World Bank, the managing director of the IMF, the quantum physicist/futurist Dr Michio Kaku and the Oxford philosopher Dr Nick Bostrom. Digital transformation is happening in real-time in the UAE, as well as in advanced societies all over the world. Artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, big data, quantum computing and the Internet of Things will literally rewrite the future of humankind in code and revolutionise the roles of government, business and human communications. I was at a recent meeting with the CEO of a prominent Arab bank who told me that smartphone technologies will force him to slash a third of his branch network.

Much has been said and written about disruptive technologies and how they are shaking things up across industries. But it is clear by now that businesses have to constantly track the course of technological innovation, which is coming through at a rapid pace making their strategies and planning almost obsolete, to understand what future has in store for them. The entire banking industry is now being disrupted by new technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI), above all else, has taken it precedence. One can clearly see an increased enthusiasm across the industry to introduce AI into business owing to the potential of this cutting-edge technology to transform the way banks do business. Drawing inspiration from the country, which is at the forefront of the global technological revolution, leading banks in the UAE have also joined their international counterparts in applying the intelligent technology in their day-to-day operations. Nonetheless, a sector-wide adoption is still far from reality.