UAE: 52 students become first graduates of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (2023)

The event was also attended by Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance of France; Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; and Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Future Technology and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Emirates School Establishment.

dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, President of COP28 and Chairman of MBZUAI, addressed the graduates and urged them to join the UAE's quest for transformative progress.

logical step to progress

dr Al Jaber said: “The pursuit of progress is at the heart of the UAE's principles and identity. In just 50 years we have managed to make revolutionary advances while integrating sustainable development into our own economy. By embracing the promise of artificial intelligence [AI], we are taking the next logical step in our national development strategy. AI will transform all aspects of our lives. We are on the brink of a technological revolution unlike any we've seen before, and MBZUAI is at the forefront of what's next.”

He also stressed why this year is a special time for a degree, on the cusp of COP28 in the UAE at a time when the stakes "couldn't be higher".

“The UAE takes on this role with humility, great responsibility and a great sense of urgency. We must all support [efforts to limit] global temperature rise to 1.5°C without slowing down economic growth. In fact, we must find all possible ways to accelerate and speed up sustainable economic development.”

He added: “We must drive an inclusive energy transition that leaves no one behind, especially in the Global South. We must make our planet richer and healthier at the same time. I have no doubt that you, the first class of MBZUAI graduates, hold some of the keys to the transformative breakthroughs we all need in today's world."

First AI research university

The UAE emphasizes AI and future technology as tools that will guide its next 50 years of growth and progress. MBZUAI, which opened its doors in 2019, is the world's first research-based university dedicated to AI development. dr Al Jaber said that AI technology will improve healthcare and industrial processes while making energy cleaner and more efficient.

Focus on broader meanings

according to dr Eric Xing, President and University Professor of MBZUAI, already ranks the university's degrees in the top 25 programs in the world in their specialties, which include AI, computer vision, machine learning and natural language processing.

“I challenge faculty and students to consider the broader meaning of their work and their mission. We live in an era of unprecedented social transformation of technology. The world is being rocked by AI, from advancing agriculture to reusable rockets, predicting protein structures in drug design, and predicting virus spread in pandemic containments, AI is changing the world, a game that offers the advantage," said Dr .

“But we have learned from history how the application of technology without social welfare and sensitivity can have harmful effects. In the 1950s, chemists created pesticides and related materials that still affect the health of communities and linger in our environment today. It will be no different with AI. Its power will enable scientific discoveries and solutions, but it can also be used for notorious purposes in the wrong hands."

Therefore, he urged graduates to hold onto their values, morals, and spiritual learning as a guide to decision-making and as protection from "distractions and illusions".

power for good

“The leadership of the UAE envisioned a remarkable future in which the UAE will be a force for good, driving the industrial revolution and enhancing human well-being. This nation has shown the will and ability to adopt technology early on. MBZUAI must be willing to take on the responsibility of providing a well-trained workforce and cutting-edge technology for this mission,” said Dr. Xing.

The inaugural class included students from 24 nationalities, including eight Emiratis. A third of the graduates were women, and several of them plan to stay in the UAE and advance the country's AI vision.

Graduate dreams

Mohamed Al Zaabi, 26, is one of the Emirati graduates who will return to the labor market. The reservoir engineer and determined individual graduated in his wheelchair and told Gulf News he wants to help his country achieve even more.

Great responsibility

Shahad Al Shamsi, 26, was another Class of 2022 graduate. Selected top of her class, she challenged her graduates to focus on turning what they learn into outcomes that benefit their communities and the world.

Several international students were among the graduates of the Class of 2022.

The entrepreneurial graduate now plans to stay in the UAE and drive innovation in smart cities and smart healthcare.

KI-Symposium

The opening ceremony was followed by a symposium on the first AI for Sustainability Symposium, which included Dr. Xing, Daniela Rus, director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL); Phil Blunsom, Cohere.AI chief scientist, Oxford professor, former NLP leader at Google DeepMind; and Tim Baldwin, MBZUAI interim chancellor and professor of natural language processing.

“The prevalence of women in the first class of MBZUAI graduates speaks to the critical nature of gender diversity in our field and contributes to a less biased, more balanced and more mature sector as a whole. From research to the application of AI in industry, women, including these first MBZUAI graduates, play a crucial role in the UAE and beyond,” said Rus.