The success of artificial intelligence (AI) lies in it improving the lives of the people without even realizing it, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work of the UAE, said at the ongoing Expand North Star event in Dubai, organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

“It’s really about quality of life…how do we deploy this technology to improve the lives of every single person that comes to this country. To give a simple example, anyone here with UAE residency can actually come through the Dubai airport without pulling out your passport or dealing with a single human being. You can walk across a smart gate, look at the camera cut across the airport without having to stop. That is a positive use of AI that focuses on quality of life. AI should not be about just a robot coming and saying hello,” the minister said.

On policy decisions, Al Olama said the boldest policy decisions the government made was to focus on what matters to the people, the founders, the investors, and keeping the safety and security as the number one priority. “We wanted to ensure that quality of life, safety and security is the foundation of everything that happens here. That’s why we are able to get the best of the best people. Second Dubai is an equal playground for everyone,” he said.

“We always thought of what can be done more in every single sector. Let’s talk about Blockchain, which in 2015 was seen as a fringe industry people didn’t want to touch. We had the first Blockchain Council established here. We started to attract crypto companies and today, we are the crypto capital of the world. The same is true with AI…We think in multi decade intervals. So all of our thoughts are for the next 10 years, 50 years, and 100 years, and we think of not just who’s here today, but the generations that are going to come in the future,” he said.

Al Olama emphasised that Dubai, under the vision and directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, continues to accord utmost importance to the development of the digital economy. This endeavour aligns with the goal of establishing the emirate’s economy in the vanguard of the global digital landscape and reflects its vision to advance a global digital economic environment that empowers startups, fosters global partnerships, and promotes a business environment that drives progress.

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Ports and Borders Security Council, on Sunday inaugurated the 10th edition of Expand North Star. The opening event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Discussing the enduring influence and impact of Expand North Star, Sheikh Mansoor hailed the event as a beacon of bold ambition and an unrivalled platform that unites entrepreneurs, bridges markets, forges connections, and inspires cross-continental collaboration.