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Bedu Has Built A Metaverse Of The UAE’s Planned Mars Trip
The simulation, known as Metaverse Project 2117, hopes to host 100 million users over the next 10 years.
Bedu, a Dubai-based start-up focused on metaverse projects, has unveiled a new virtual environment showcasing the UAE’s future space exploration plans, including the proposed mission to Mars.
The project relies heavily on blockchain technology and decentralized hosting to enable the company to deliver a high-quality virtual experience. The project is known as “2117”, after the UAE’s planned Mars 2117 initiative, which aims to create a habitable colony on the red planet known as the “Mars Scientific City”.
The Mars metropolis will have food laboratories and its own water, food and energy harvesting technologies, using 3D printing to help overcome some of the complexities of building in such a harsh environment.
Earlier this week, Bedu signed an agreement with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, which will assist Bedu in developing its unique metaverse, which will function like a real-life economy, with all the infrastructure and regulatory framework needed over the coming years.
“Mars is a destination aligned with [the UAE’s] vision and direction. Our focus is on creating a world where people can socialize, network, and live together without differentiating race, culture, and religion. […] As with any technology, it will impact multiple pillars, and the economic factor is one of the most important pillars,” says Amin Al Zarouni, chief executive of Bedu.
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The metaverse is part of the internet’s transition to Web3, which relies heavily on blockchain and decentralization while focusing on openness and greater user utility. The result is the ability to create entire 3D digital worlds, and the UAE, in particular, has taken significant steps to promote the technology, including the development of the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, which aims to create 40,000 jobs and pump $4 billion into the UAE’s economy over the next five years.
Despite rapid progress, Mr. Al Zarouni of Bedu is keen to point out that the metaverse is still in its early stages, but is estimated to hit the mainstream in the next 5-10 years.
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OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health Is A Private Space For Health Data
A new health mode lets the popular AI platform tap medical records and fitness apps while walling off sensitive information.
OpenAI has created ChatGPT Health, a separate space inside its chatbot platform for handling medical and wellness data. The opt-in feature starts with a small US cohort before widening out.
Health-related questions have long driven traffic to AI tools. OpenAI says over 230 million people ask ChatGPT about health or insurance each week. The new mode adds personal context to that behavior but stops short of diagnosis or treatment advice.
Users can connect records from participating US providers through b.well and link apps such as Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, Function and Weight Watchers. Some links are US-only, while Apple Health needs iOS. Once connected, ChatGPT can surface patterns in labs, summarize information ahead of a clinic visit or help map diet and exercise choices against past data.
The data sits apart from other chat information. Health has its own memories and does not spill into other conversations. Users can view or delete health memories at any time. OpenAI says this material is not used to train its models.
Security is much heavier in this section too. Health adds isolation and purpose-built encryption on top of the platform’s baseline protections. App connections require explicit permission, and disconnecting cuts the feed immediately.
“ChatGPT Health is another step toward turning ChatGPT into a personal super-assistant that can support you with information and tools to achieve your goals across any part of your life,” wrote Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s applications chief.
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Physicians had input during development, though OpenAI has not detailed how that shaped the end product. The launch follows Health Bench, a dataset released in May to test models on realistic medical cases.
While currently rooted in the US healthcare ecosystem, the approach may draw interest in the Gulf and wider MENA markets as governments push digital health records and patient portals under modernization programs. Adoption will depend on whether users trust an AI assistant with such personal material and whether it fits clinical routines.
For OpenAI, the move marks a cautious step into regulated terrain and signals a shift toward sector-specific uses of generative AI.
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