Meeting the needs of local and global communities for research and innovation, MBZUAI is committed to empowering the next generation of AI talent
In the two years since it opened its doors, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has made a name for itself as a quality institution for study and research in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, natural language processing and computer vision.
MBZUAI is a magnet institution for the global AI elite — high-powered academics and innovators who serve Abu Dhabi in a number of important ways. This includes their work as advisers on national challenges, instructors in the university’s executive programme and mentors to young, homegrown AI talent. The university is an attractive destination for innovators and job creators in the AI space, ambassadors for the global academic community, and pioneers within a field that is set to be of fundamental importance to our global future.
Since its founding in 2019, MBZUAI has attracted 45 faculty members – many of whom have come to Abu Dhabi from institutions ranked among the world’s top 100 for AI. The university boasts over 250 master’s and PhD students from more than 40 countries, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) providing the single largest contribution to the student population.In 2022 alone, students and faculty produced over 350 scholarly publications at top conferences and within the most well-respected journals
MBZUAI is at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, inspiring the next generation of creators, thinkers and change-makers as part of the UAE’s national strategy for AI. The university’s research is solving real-world national and global challenges across sectors including healthcare, transport, logistics, environment, energy, smart cities, manufacturing and fintech.
Transforming AI research into practical projects
Several long-term research projects are already under way at MBZUAI. These include a multiscale simulation, where large volumes of data are collected from across various strata – at the societal level all the way down to the molecular level – before being combined into one powerful, AI-driven simulation. This is intended to vastly improve the understanding of disease mechanisms and revolutionise drug development. A 2020 study estimated a median cost of $985 million (£800 million) for bringing a single new medicine to market. It is hoped that MBZUAI’s AI research could reduce this figure.
Researchers at the university are also working on ways of developing an internet that is free from false information. Misleading or inaccurate information is a damaging and largely uncontrolled phenomenon that has led to a global “infodemic”, according to the World Health Organization. MBZUAI researchers are working to better understand how fake news is deployed and how it can be eliminated using AI in combination with programmes of public awareness.
Furthermore, MBZUAI is looking at ways that new innovations such as the metaverse can benefit academia, particularly in terms of enabling lifelong learning. Access to cutting-edge information and the most talented teachers remains heavily constrained by geographic and socio-economic factors. MBZUAI researchers want to remove these restrictions using a metaverse that provides access to humanity’s brightest minds, enabling lifelong learning for everyone.
AI is also being employed in the preservation of Emirati dialects. Around the world, speakers of these dialects face the dual threats of language extinction and a lack of access to banking, healthcare, education and other key services. MBZUAI researchers aim to preserve Emirati Arabic dialects and to grant individuals access to technologies in their native language using the power of AI’s natural language processing.
MBZUAI is aware of the excitement and challenges that surround the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as the ways that AI can supercharge this emergence. As with previous industrial revolutions, the individuals and businesses set to benefit most from the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be those that have developed a profoundly new manner of production. The ability to mass produce scalable, cheap, rapidly deployable AI systems promises to give economies a sizeable competitive advantage.
Powering the economy of the future
AI is one of the most influential and effective technologies in the search for solutions to optimise the industries of tomorrow. According to research by the McKinsey Global Institute, early industrial adopters of AI will see pronounced advantages over their peers thanks to data analysis and automation. These gains are projected to add about $13 trillion (£10.5 trillion) to the global gross domestic product by 2030.
In 2022, MBZUAI’s first cohort of students will graduate. These exceptional graduates reflect the university’s commitment to realising the vision of Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE, to strengthen people’s capabilities in science and technology for the benefit of the economy and society.
MBZUAI is committed to using transformative AI research to deliver tangible benefits for local and global communities. The university’s commitment is aligned with the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which aims to enhance the position of the UAE as a global partner and an attractive and influential economic centre. Empowered by the university’s ambitious AI academics and students, MBZUAI will support the 2031 vision through pioneering AI developments.
In keeping with the university’s commitment to supporting women in technology, 34 per cent of the 2022 graduating class are women. These graduates are set to become innovators and future leaders in the UAE and beyond.
Whether it’s through programmes in computer vision, machine learning or natural language processing, MBZUAI offers students from around the world an opportunity to apply their knowledge, skills and ideas, supported by a strong academic and pastoral support framework. Through AI, the university plans to turn Abu Dhabi into a hub for cutting-edge development and MBZUAI into a launch pad for world-class thinkers.
Find out more about MBZUAI.
