G42 and Cerebras, in partnership with MBZUAI and C-DAC, will deploy an 8 exaflop AI supercomputer in India. The system will operate under India's governance frameworks, with all data remaining within national jurisdiction to meet sovereign security and compliance requirements. The supercomputer will be accessible to Indian researchers, startups, and government entities under the India AI Mission.
G42 and Cerebras, in partnership with MBZUAI and C-DAC, will deploy an 8 exaflop AI supercomputer in India. The system will operate under India's governance and security frameworks as part of the India AI Mission. It will provide access to compute for researchers, startups, and government entities. Why it matters: This deployment represents a major boost to India's AI infrastructure and sovereign AI capabilities, expanding access to advanced compute resources in the region.
MBZUAI researchers release JEEM, a new benchmark dataset for evaluating vision-language models on Arabic dialects. The dataset covers image captioning and visual question answering tasks using images from Jordan, UAE, Egypt, and Morocco. Results show models struggle with cultural understanding and relevance despite fluent language generation.
Researchers in Abu Dhabi developed H-SURF, a swarm of bio-inspired robotic fish for underwater data collection. Funded by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and conducted at Khalifa University, H-SURF uses swarm intelligence and optical communication to minimize disturbance to marine life. The project was recently recognized with the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Award for Environmental Research.
MBZUAI has received a Google Academic Research Award to study how AI can better understand and respond to human loneliness in digital spaces. The project will examine how loneliness is expressed online, how conversational agents can detect it, and what healthier AI companionship could look like. The research aims to define digital loneliness and address the potential negative impacts of AI chatbots on users.
MBZUAI has launched the Ruwwad AI Scholars (RAIS) program, a postdoctoral fellowship for Emirati Ph.D. graduates to undertake two-year, fully-funded research positions at leading global institutions. The program aims to cultivate local talent in AI and computational research, with the goal of strengthening participants' eligibility for faculty positions at MBZUAI. The fellowship covers a stipend, research funds, insurance, relocation support, and conference travel.
MBZUAI researchers have developed 'Byzantine antidote' (Bant), a novel defense mechanism against Byzantine attacks in federated learning. Bant uses trust scores and a trial function to dynamically filter and neutralize corrupted updates, even when a majority of nodes are compromised. The research was presented at the 40th Annual AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence.
Michael I. Jordan, a renowned AI researcher from UC Berkeley, has joined Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) as a laureate professor and honorary director of the Laureate Faculty Program. MBZUAI President Eric Xing highlighted Jordan's significant influence in machine learning, noting his role as a mentor. Jordan aims to guide AI researchers and advise the university as it seeks to become a global leader in AI. Why it matters: This appointment strengthens MBZUAI's position as a prominent AI research institution in the Middle East by attracting top-tier international talent and fostering a conducive environment for cutting-edge research.
Malaria No More, the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, and the Reaching the Last Mile program launched the Institute for Malaria and Climate Solutions (IMACS) to combat malaria amidst climate change. Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) joined as a technical partner, providing research support leveraging AI and data science. The initiative aims to develop and implement AI-driven strategies to address the impact of climate change on malaria transmission. Why it matters: This partnership highlights the UAE's commitment to using AI for global health challenges, particularly in combating climate-sensitive diseases like malaria.
MBZUAI and Virgin Hyperloop have signed an MoU to collaborate on AI research and innovation for the transportation sector. The partnership will focus on joint research in computer vision, cloud computing, and commercial projects in smart transportation. Hyperloop aims to transport passengers and goods at speeds exceeding 1,000km/h, becoming a sustainable means of mass transportation. Why it matters: This collaboration highlights the UAE's focus on using AI to advance transportation technology and its ambition to become a global hub for innovation in the region.
Virgin Hyperloop is collaborating with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi to develop an AI-powered operating system for its hyperloop transport system. The operating system aims to optimize the hyperloop's operations, including fleet management and vehicle movement, for the proposed 1,080 kph system. Co-founder Josh Giegel highlighted the Gulf's keen interest and involvement in the project, with Dubai's DP World being a major investor. Why it matters: This partnership signifies the UAE's growing role in cutting-edge transportation technology and the application of AI in optimizing complex systems, potentially revolutionizing regional and global transport.
MBZUAI and Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science have signed an MoU to collaborate on AI research, marking the first agreement of its kind between higher education institutes in the UAE and Israel. The collaboration includes student and researcher exchange programs, joint seminars, shared computing resources, and the establishment of a joint virtual AI institute. The partnership follows the normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel. Why it matters: This collaboration fosters international cooperation in AI research and development within the region, with potential long-term benefits for technological advancement.
The UAE's National Programme for Coders will train 20,000 students in coding across eight universities, including MBZUAI and Khalifa University. The program includes 500 training opportunities at local and international companies. Amazon, Huawei, and IBM will launch digital libraries providing resources on AI, data science, and other technologies. Why it matters: This initiative aims to bolster the UAE's AI talent pool and enhance graduates' competitiveness in the job market through practical coding skills.
SEHA and MBZUAI have signed an MoU to integrate AI into medical care and enhance clinical expertise. They will collaborate on AI-driven solutions for quantifying COVID-19 infection severity and study its long-term impact on UAE residents. The partnership will also focus on diagnosis and treatment methods for acute kidney injury, coronary artery disease, fetal health, and AI-driven point of care ultrasound. Why it matters: This collaboration between a major healthcare provider and an AI university in the UAE could lead to advancements in AI-driven healthcare solutions and improve patient outcomes.
MBZUAI and the Weizmann Institute of Science have launched a joint AI Research Program. The program will foster collaborative projects, training, and exchanges in AI fields like machine learning, computer vision, and NLP. The initiative aims to advance both basic and applied AI research, particularly in healthcare and genomics. Why it matters: This partnership signifies growing international collaboration in AI research within the UAE and could accelerate breakthroughs in key AI applications.
MBZUAI and IBM have announced a strategic collaboration to advance AI research by establishing a new AI Center of Excellence at MBZUAI's Masdar City campus. The center will leverage IBM researchers in collaboration with MBZUAI faculty and students, focusing on advancing both fundamental and applied AI research. The collaboration aims to develop and incubate AI technologies addressing civic, social, and business challenges. Why it matters: This partnership enhances the UAE's AI capabilities, fostering innovation and talent development in critical sectors such as healthcare and finance.
MBZUAI and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) are collaborating to develop AI algorithms to predict heart attacks months in advance with 87% accuracy using ultrasound images. The project aims to preemptively predict heart attacks in the short and long term, addressing the high rates of cardiac arrest, especially in the Middle East. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SEHA and MBZUAI to integrate AI into healthcare. Why it matters: This partnership could significantly improve healthcare outcomes in the region by leveraging AI to proactively address heart disease, a leading cause of death.
MBZUAI's Dr. Mohammad Yaqub is developing AI algorithms to power point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) on mobile devices, expanding on his prior work on an AI-based fetal anomaly system used in GE Healthcare's ultrasound. These algorithms aim to make smaller, affordable PoCUS devices accessible in remote areas for faster diagnoses. The handheld devices, costing around $5000 USD, can connect to mobile devices and provide intelligence to interpret images, addressing the shortage of specialists in remote locations. Why it matters: This initiative democratizes access to critical diagnostic tools, potentially saving lives by enabling early detection of life-threatening conditions in underserved communities.
Michael I. Jordan, a UC Berkeley Distinguished Professor and influential figure in machine learning and AI, has been appointed laureate professor at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). He will also serve as honorary director of MBZUAI's new Laureate Faculty Program. The program aims to attract leading researchers to MBZUAI by providing resources and minimizing administrative burdens. Why it matters: This appointment strengthens MBZUAI's reputation and enhances the UAE's AI ecosystem by bringing in a world-renowned AI expert to foster research and innovation.
MBZUAI researchers led by Dr. Mohammad Yaqub are developing AI algorithms for real-time medical diagnoses, including tools for multiple sclerosis and congenital heart disease. The team developed ScanNav, an AI fetal anomaly assessment system licensed by GE Healthcare for Voluson SWIFT ultrasound machines. ScanNav assists doctors during anomaly scans after 20 weeks of gestation to check for conditions like heart issues and spina bifida. Why it matters: This research has the potential to significantly improve the speed and accuracy of medical diagnoses in the UAE and beyond, addressing critical gaps in healthcare.
MBZUAI researchers are working on digital twin technology that can replicate human beings in detail, with real-time data flow between the physical and virtual. This project aims to extend digital twins from objects to organic entities like humans, plants and animals. The technology mines data from cameras, sensors, wearables, and other sources to predict health issues before they arise. Why it matters: This research has the potential to transform healthcare by enabling the prediction and prevention of health issues.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has appointed Professor Dr. Eric Xing as its new president, succeeding Interim President Professor Sir Michael Brady. Dr. Xing joins from Carnegie Mellon University, where he was Associate Department Head of Research at the Machine Learning Department. He is a globally recognized AI academic and will lead MBZUAI in developing AI and AI solutions as the first graduate student cohort commences studies. Why it matters: This appointment signals MBZUAI's commitment to attracting top global talent and advancing its mission as a leading AI research institution in the UAE.
HPE is building a new supercomputer for MBZUAI to accelerate AI research and advance the UAE’s National Strategy for AI. The supercomputer will enhance MBZUAI's ability to run complex AI models and increase predictability in research analyses in fields like energy, transportation, and the environment. The Campus Super Computing Center (CSCC) will house the new supercomputer. Why it matters: This investment strengthens the UAE's AI capabilities and its position as a global leader in AI research and development.
MBZUAI's president highlighted the university's rapid growth in faculty, students, and academic influence in 2022, including rising into the top 25 globally in AI-related fields per CSRanking.org. Faculty published over 350 papers in high-impact conferences and journals and grew by 80% since 2021 to 49 members. The student body also grew, with an increased percentage coming from top undergraduate institutions, and the number of Emirati students rose to 36. Why it matters: This signals the UAE's commitment to establishing a world-class AI research and education ecosystem, attracting global talent and contributing significantly to AI advancements.
MBZUAI and IBM have launched an AI Center of Excellence to drive sustainability. The center will focus on developing carbon-neutral energy solutions and improving natural language processing for Arabic dialects. Joint research will focus on decarbonization, climate change mitigation, and foundational AI models to support renewable energy. Why it matters: This initiative addresses critical regional needs in sustainability and Arabic NLP, aligning with the UAE's AI strategy and COP28 goals.
MBZUAI faculty, researchers, and students will present 34 papers at the 35th IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2023). Fahad Khan is a co-author on 11 accepted papers, while Salman Khan and Shijian Lu have 10 and 9 papers, respectively. One paper focuses on person image synthesis via a denoising diffusion model, and another introduces PromptCAL for generalized novel category discovery. Why it matters: This large volume of acceptances at a top-tier conference highlights MBZUAI's growing prominence and research contributions in computer vision, with potential impact across various industries from online retail to autonomous driving.
MBZUAI and BioMap have signed an MoU to establish the first biocomputing innovation research lab in the Middle East, located on MBZUAI's campus. The collaboration will focus on applying AI protein generation to life science models, addressing needs in drug design, energy, and environmental protection. The lab will research de novo design of oil degradation enzymes and identify drug targets for aging-associated and rare diseases. Why it matters: This partnership signals a growing focus on applying AI to critical life science challenges in the region, potentially leading to breakthroughs in drug discovery and sustainable energy solutions.
MBZUAI has announced partnerships with IBT and BioMap to advance AI applications in healthcare. The collaboration with IBT will focus on developing personalized digital therapeutics for brain health. The partnership with BioMap will establish a biocomputing innovation research lab in the Middle East focused on AI-generated proteins. Why it matters: These partnerships highlight MBZUAI's commitment to leveraging AI for personalized healthcare solutions and establishing the UAE as a hub for biocomputing innovation.
MBZUAI is now ranked 19th globally in AI, computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing according to CSRankings. The university is also top-ranked for computer science in the MENA region. MBZUAI's faculty has grown significantly, with more than 20 new members added in 2022 and Q1 2023, totaling 52. Why it matters: This ranking highlights the rapid rise of MBZUAI as a leading AI research institution in the Middle East, contributing to the UAE's ambitions to become a global AI hub.
MBZUAI had 22 papers accepted at ICLR 2023, with faculty Kun Zhang co-authoring seven of them. Yuanzhi Li, an affiliated assistant professor at MBZUAI, received an honorable mention for his paper on knowledge distillation. Additionally, a paper co-authored by MBZUAI President Eric Xing was recognized as a top 5% paper at the conference. Why it matters: MBZUAI's strong presence at a top-tier machine learning conference like ICLR demonstrates the university's growing influence and research capabilities in the global AI landscape.
MBZUAI and OurCrowd Arabia signed an MoU to accelerate the growth of the AI technology ecosystem at MBZUAI's campus in Abu Dhabi. The initiatives will focus on incubating startups and creating opportunities for AI talent, particularly MBZUAI graduates and researchers. OurCrowd Arabia is also establishing a VC investment center in Abu Dhabi to manage deals for its platform. Why it matters: This partnership aims to foster entrepreneurship and position Abu Dhabi as a global AI center by providing funding and support for AI startups.
Researchers from MBZUAI, KAUST, and Mila are collaborating to develop methods for identifying and mitigating the impact of malicious actors in federated learning systems used for health data analysis. These systems aggregate anonymized data from numerous devices to generate insights for healthcare improvements. The team's research, accepted at ICLR 2023, focuses on using variance reduction techniques to counteract the disruptive effects of skewed or corrupted data submitted by dishonest users. Why it matters: Protecting the integrity of AI-driven health systems is crucial for ensuring the reliability and safety of insights derived from sensitive patient data in the GCC region and globally.
A new paper from MBZUAI researchers explores using ChatGPT to combat the spread of fake news. The researchers, including Preslav Nakov and Liangming Pan, demonstrate that ChatGPT can be used to fact-check published information. Their paper, "Fact-Checking Complex Claims with Program-Guided Reasoning," was accepted at ACL 2023. Why it matters: This research highlights the potential of large language models to address the growing challenge of misinformation, with implications for maintaining information integrity in the digital age.
MBZUAI President Eric Xing led a global collaboration to develop Vicuna, an LLM alternative to GPT-3 addressing the unsustainable costs of training LLMs. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged Abu Dhabi's role in the global AI conversation, building off of achievements like Vicuna. Xing and colleagues are publishing research at MLSys 2023 on "cross-mesh resharding" to improve computer communication in deep learning, aiming for low-carbon, affordable, and miniaturized AI. Why it matters: This research signals a push towards sustainable AI development in the region, emphasizing efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
MBZUAI researchers had 26 papers accepted at ACL 2023, a top NLP conference. Assistant Professor Alham Fikri Aji co-authored eight papers, including one on crosslingual generalization through multitask finetuning (MTF). Deputy Department Chair Preslav Nakov co-authored a paper on a Bulgarian language understanding benchmark dedicated to the memory of Yale Computer Scientist Dragomir R. Radev. Why it matters: MBZUAI's strong presence at ACL highlights its growing influence in the NLP field and its contributions to multilingual AI research.
MBZUAI has established new robotics and computer science departments, launching master’s and Ph.D. programs in each discipline. The new departments will complement MBZUAI’s existing CV, ML, and NLP departments. The robotics department will focus on robot learning and algorithms, while computer science will focus on foundational technologies with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and sustainability. Why it matters: This expansion strengthens the UAE's AI ecosystem and positions MBZUAI as a hub for AI research and innovation, addressing the growing global demand for AI talent.
Researchers from MBZUAI, UC Berkeley, CMU, Stanford, and UC San Diego collaborated to create Vicuna, an open-source chatbot that costs $300 to train, unlike ChatGPT which costs over $4 million. Vicuna achieves 90% of ChatGPT's subjective language quality while being far more energy-efficient and can run on a single GPU. It was fine-tuned from Meta AI’s LLaMA model using user-shared conversations and has gained significant traction on GitHub. Why it matters: This research demonstrates that high-quality chatbots can be developed at a fraction of the cost and environmental impact, opening up new possibilities for sustainable AI development in the region.
Researchers from MBZUAI, University of British Columbia, and Monash University have created LaMini-LM, a collection of small language models distilled from ChatGPT. LaMini-LM is trained on a dataset of 2.58M instructions and can be deployed on consumer laptops and mobile devices. The smaller models perform almost as well as larger counterparts while addressing security concerns. Why it matters: This work enables the deployment of LLMs in resource-constrained environments and enhances data security by reducing reliance on cloud-based LLMs.
G42's Inception has open-sourced Jais, a 13-billion parameter Arabic large language model (LLM). Jais was trained on a 395-billion-token Arabic and English dataset and outperforms existing Arabic models. The model is a collaboration between Inception, MBZUAI, and Cerebras Systems, and was trained on the Condor Galaxy supercomputer. Why it matters: This release establishes a new standard for Arabic language AI, providing over 400 million Arabic speakers access to generative AI and fostering innovation in the region.
MBZUAI has been ranked 127th globally among institutions conducting computer science research and ranks 30th globally in AI, computer vision, machine learning, and NLP. This places MBZUAI ahead of universities such as the University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, Imperial College London and others. MBZUAI is now the top-ranked CS institution in the Arab World and the Middle East and Africa according to CSRankings. Why it matters: This ranking highlights the rapid growth and increasing prominence of AI research in the UAE and the broader Middle East.
MBZUAI is now ranked 24th globally in AI, computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing, according to CSRankings. This ranking is attributed to the addition of faculty like Preslav Nakov, Hanan Al Darmaki, and Samuel Horvath. MBZUAI now ranks ahead of universities like the University of Michigan and Imperial College London in specific AI fields. Why it matters: This ranking establishes MBZUAI as the top CS institution in the Arab World and highlights the UAE's growing prominence in AI research.
MBZUAI is a global partner in Meta's release of Llama 2, joining organizations like IBM, AWS, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. MBZUAI will provide early feedback and help build the software as a global community. MBZUAI is working on large language models, developing a sustainable LLM named Vicuna, and strengthening infrastructure for LLM-chat evaluation. Why it matters: MBZUAI's involvement promises to bring about a new generation of UAE-born AI advancements built around the Llama 2 ecosystem and fact-checking capabilities.
MBZUAI has launched the MBZUAI Metaverse Center (MMC) and the MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC). The Metaverse Center focuses on AI-driven immersive technologies for communication, healthcare, entertainment, and education. The Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center will focus on catalyzing AI innovation and adoption in industry. Why it matters: These centers signal MBZUAI's commitment to expanding AI research and fostering a startup ecosystem in the UAE.
MBZUAI has launched the Institute of Foundation Models to advance generative AI research and development. The institute will focus on developing large-scale AI models adaptable to various applications, building on MBZUAI's existing work with models like Jais, Llama 2, and Vicuna. It will focus on multi-modal foundation models applicable to areas like healthcare, finance and environmental engineering. Why it matters: This initiative further solidifies the UAE's position as a leader in AI, particularly in the development and application of foundation models for diverse industries.
MBZUAI launched the Institute of Foundation Models, the MBZUAI Metaverse Center (MMC), and the MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) at GITEX 2023. The university also signed MoUs with Abu Dhabi Customs and the Department of Municipalities and Transport to collaborate on AI applications. MBZUAI faculty participated in panel discussions on generative AI and large language models, including the Jais Arabic LLM. Why it matters: These initiatives and partnerships signal MBZUAI's central role in advancing AI research, development, and adoption across key sectors in the UAE.
MBZUAI faculty and students will present 53 papers at NeurIPS 2023. Key faculty include Eric Xing, Kun Zhang, and Tongliang Liu, each contributing to nine papers. One paper was selected for oral presentation and two for spotlight presentations. Why it matters: MBZUAI's strong presence at NeurIPS highlights its growing influence in the global AI research community and its focus on high-impact AI research.
IBM and MBZUAI have partnered to create an AI Center of Excellence, with the goal of driving sustainability in the region. The center will use AI to monitor, model, and visualize climate change, providing decision-makers with data to address issues like the urban heat island effect. Dr. Fahad Khan, Dr. Salman Khan, and Dr. Levente Klein from MBZUAI are leading the research. Why it matters: This collaboration highlights the UAE's commitment to using AI to tackle critical climate challenges and supports the upcoming COP28 in Dubai.
MBZUAI and Sheikh Shakbout Medical City researchers developed PECon, a deep learning method for pulmonary embolism detection using CT scans and electronic health records. PECon uses neural networks and contrastive learning to encode and align image and text data. The method aims to improve diagnosis accuracy and speed, potentially saving lives. Why it matters: This research demonstrates AI's potential to enhance medical diagnostics in the UAE, addressing a critical healthcare challenge.
MBZUAI researchers developed FeSViBS, a new federated split learning technique for vision transformers that addresses data scarcity and privacy concerns in healthcare image classification. The method combines federated learning and split learning to train models collaboratively without sharing sensitive patient data directly. It overcomes limitations of traditional centralized training and vulnerabilities in federated learning. Why it matters: This approach enables the development of AI-powered healthcare applications while adhering to stringent data privacy regulations, unlocking the potential of machine learning in medical imaging.
MBZUAI and Core42 have launched Jais Climate, the first bilingual (Arabic/English) LLM dedicated to climate and sustainability. It is fine-tuned with 1.4 million climate-related instructions and trained on the ClimaInstruct dataset. Jais Climate is built on Jais 13B and incorporates technology from Vicuna, an open-source LLM. Why it matters: This model provides accessible climate data to a wide audience, including decision-makers and the general public, and highlights the UAE's focus on using AI for sustainability.