Microsoft has announced the establishment of two new centers in Abu Dhabi with the help of the AI development holding company G42. Microsoft said the two centers will help it achieve its Responsible AI goals. This announcement builds on the partnership between Microsoft and G42 earlier this year.
The first center will be co-funded by Microsoft and G42. It has also received endorsement from Abu Dhabi"s Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC). This center will "identify, develop, and advance best practices and industry standards for the responsible use of AI in the Middle East and the Global South."
This center will bring together academic researchers and AI practitioners from the private sector to work towards Responsible AI best practices.
The second of these centers isn"t a new center as such; it"s an expansion of Microsoft"s AI for Good Research Lab into Abu Dhabi. It will support AI projects that seek to address key societal goals.
The AI for Good Lab will open in Abu Dhabi and collaborate with non-profit organizations and partners to address important economic and societal challenges facing the Middle East and Africa. This center will also work closely with the existing lab in Nairobi, Kenya, to develop large language models that use underrepresented languages, helping to bridge the global language divide.
The new center will also focus on food security and improving climate resilience by applying AI to high-res geospatial data to help disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
Commenting on the news, Microsoft"s Vice Chair and President, Brad Smith, said:
"Today’s steps will add to the important progress Microsoft and G42 are making to broaden access to the responsible, safe, and secure use of artificial intelligence. We are committed to additional steps with G42 that advance responsible AI use for customers and that strengthen the relationship not only between our two companies, but between our two countries."
Meanwhile, Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, said:
"By advancing Responsible AI together with Microsoft, we are creating a framework for AI to serve all of humanity. These new centers reflect our shared vision for leveraging technology to solve real-world challenges, positioning Abu Dhabi as a global hub for AI innovation that prioritizes safety, trust and collaboration, especially across the global south."
Microsoft said the two companies will announce additional steps for their partnership in the coming weeks and months.
Source: Microsoft