G42's Core42 has released Jais, a new Arabic large language model. Jais includes 13 billion parameters and was trained on a dataset of 126B tokens, including 43B Arabic tokens. According to the developers, Jais achieves state-of-the-art results on Arabic benchmarks and competitive performance on English benchmarks. Why it matters: Jais represents a significant step forward for Arabic NLP, providing a powerful new tool for researchers and developers in the region.
Abu Dhabi's cybersecurity group CPX is set to merge with AI firm Core42, creating a potentially dominant entity in the UAE's digital security landscape. This consolidation raises concerns among smaller cyber providers who fear being squeezed out of the market. CPX's existing government contracts, combined with Core42's AI capabilities, could create an unfair competitive advantage. Why it matters: The merger highlights the UAE's strategy to centralize its AI and cybersecurity capabilities, but also raises questions about market competition and the role of smaller players in the country's tech ecosystem.
অধ্যাপক Timothy M. Shaw নিযুক্ত হয়েছেন MBZUAI-এর এক্সিকিউটিভ ভাইস প্রেসিডেন্ট ও প্রভোস্ট হিসেবে। ড. শাও এর আগে হংকং বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের (HKUST) অধ্যাপক ছিলেন। এই নিয়োগ MBZUAI-এর নেতৃত্বকে শক্তিশালী করবে এবং একাডেমিক উৎকর্ষের প্রতিশ্রুতির উপর জোর দেবে। Why it matters: একটি বিশিষ্ট AI ব্যক্তিত্বের অন্তর্ভুক্তি MBZUAI-এর শিক্ষাগত খ্যাতি বাড়াতে পারে এবং আরও বেশি আন্তর্জাতিক প্রতিভা আকৃষ্ট করতে পারে।
Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed an AI system that can identify objects hidden by camouflage. The AI uses a convolutional neural network trained on synthetic data to detect partially occluded objects. The system outperformed existing object detection methods in tests on real-world images. Why it matters: The work demonstrates potential applications of AI in defense, security, and search and rescue operations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Timothy Baldwin, president of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), expressed optimism about the Middle East's potential to become a significant player in AI. He noted the region's strategic investments and focus on AI development. Baldwin acknowledged that while the Middle East currently lags behind other regions, it has the resources and vision to close the gap. Why it matters: The president's statement highlights the growing ambition and commitment within the Middle East to establish itself as a global AI hub.