This step comes within the framework of joint cooperation between the two companies to serve the global community, and to deepen their strategic partnership that was announced earlier this year, and includes a set of cooperation protocols that will be announced over the coming weeks and months, according to what was reported by the Emirates News Agency “WAM” on Tuesday.
The two initiatives include the establishment of two new AI centers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The first is the result of a joint collaboration in terms of establishment and funding between G42 and Microsoft, and with the approval of the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology in Abu Dhabi. The center will work to develop, implement and monitor the implementation of best practices and standards that ensure the use of AI in a responsible and transparent manner in the Middle East and developing countries or those that suffer from gaps in digital and technical infrastructure compared to developed countries.
The second centre is a new branch of the Microsoft AI for Philanthropy Lab in Abu Dhabi, which will focus on employing AI technologies in projects that enhance local and regional cooperation to achieve key societal goals such as combating climate change, combating poverty, achieving sustainable development, and others.
G42 and Microsoft are committed to working closely with the Abu Dhabi-based AI Hub, which will bring together a distinguished group of researchers, academics and experts in the field of artificial intelligence, to provide a fertile environment for the exchange of expertise and knowledge in the field of responsible artificial intelligence between experts and institutions from various sectors in the Middle East and developing regions, to ensure the application of best practices in this emerging technology.
Meanwhile, the Microsoft AI for Philanthropy Lab in Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in the Middle East, will harness the power of AI to positively impact communities by expanding collaboration with non-profit organizations and charities to address economic and social challenges in the Middle East and Africa.
As part of this initiative, there will be direct collaboration with the Microsoft AI Lab team based in Nairobi, to develop AI models that understand and process languages that are underrepresented in technology, helping to bridge the global language gap. There will also be a focus on developing the use of AI technologies to address food shortages and climate change issues, by analyzing agricultural and climate data more accurately, which will enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
The partnership will work alongside the Abu Dhabi Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology, which was established last January, to develop research plans and programmes, in collaboration with local and international partners, with the aim of enhancing Abu Dhabi’s position in the fields of artificial intelligence and advanced technology, which contributes to driving innovation and progress in these vital areas.
These two initiatives are part of Microsoft and G42’s ongoing efforts to implement the Responsible AI Policy Standards and Practices, developed and implemented by Microsoft, which G42 is committed to implementing as part of their strategic partnership, under the supervision of the US and UAE governments, to ensure that AI models and applications produced by the two companies are used responsibly and in accordance with the laws when developed and deployed. The scope of these policies includes the design and use of AI applications, including digital safety and cybersecurity plans for training and deploying models, in addition to practical experiments that simulate actual hacking operations, but by the “Red Test” operations team, who work as experienced cybersecurity experts, to discover and identify security vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the system before they are exploited by hackers or real attackers.
G42’s adoption of these policies is expected to enhance the UAE’s position as a global hub for AI innovation, and ensure that Microsoft Azure AI technologies are responsibly available to everyone around the world.
“Today’s announcements build on the successes that Microsoft and G42 have achieved in expanding access to and increasing the number of people who benefit from responsible and safe AI,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chairman and president.
“We remain committed to taking additional steps with G42 to not only advance the safe and responsible use of AI for all of our customers, but also to positively impact US-UAE relations,” he added.
“By advancing responsible AI with Microsoft, we are creating a framework for AI to serve all of humanity,” said Peng Xiao, CEO of G42.
“These new centres reflect our shared vision of leveraging technology to solve real-world challenges, and positioning Abu Dhabi as a global hub for AI innovation that prioritises safety, trust and collaboration, particularly across the Global South,” he added.
“Since announcing our strategic partnership with Microsoft last April, we have been working closely together to implement the legal and regulatory standards agreed upon by the US and UAE governments regarding the safe and responsible use of technology,” he explained.
“Our strategic partnership with Microsoft in the field of promoting responsible AI enables us to create a new path to serve humanity through AI technologies. These new centers reflect our shared vision to leverage technological developments to address real-world challenges. In addition, this partnership enhances Abu Dhabi’s global status as a hub for AI innovation that focuses on safety, collaboration and reliability, especially in developing countries,” Xiao added.
In accordance with G42 policies implemented earlier this year, neither the Group nor its affiliates do business with entities on the U.S. government’s blacklist that could pose a security risk. The Microsoft-G42 Joint Compliance Committee meets quarterly, while task forces meet weekly to review progress across the board.
G42’s compliance program is “best in class”, ensuring that best security practices are applied in business management, in line with compliance rules of laws and regulations.
This partnership represents a significant opportunity to transfer leading technology from developed countries to developing regions. For its part, G42 is leading a major effort to create a regulated and controlled environment for the deployment of advanced technology systems developed by the United States to meet international needs in the field of artificial intelligence. More broadly, the joint cooperation between Microsoft and G42 aims to reduce the digital divide and address important social issues to promote democratic values in the digital world.
In this context, $1 billion has been invested in Kenya to harness geothermal energy in digital data projects. This partnership is also evidence of Microsoft and G42’s commitment to the highest standards of regulatory compliance, stemming from a strong and shared belief in the ability of AI and cloud computing technologies to positively drive progress in the global digital landscape.
G42 also began migrating its legacy public cloud infrastructure to Microsoft Azure cloud platform since November 2023, to improve security and efficiency across all its operations.
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