News
UAE Company G42 Will Soon Launch Three ChatGPT Platforms
The artificial intelligence company is building an Arabic version of ChatGPT, a tool for government services, and another for climate action.
An artificial intelligence company from the UAE known as G42 is working on several ChatGPT-powered platforms. The organization’s CEO Peng Xiao announced during a recent press conference that they were “working on the largest Arabic-language model” and noted that although “Arabic is a major body of language in the world, it is not served at all by the big players in the industry”.
G42 has also begun work on GovGPT, a chat service that will help find answers to government-related search queries, and ClimateGPT, a tool to “help the population be more engaged and participate in the climate programs we’re championing”.
Although Xiao didn’t reveal an exact date for the release of the new ChatGPT platforms, he did address AI’s potential impact and future regulation.
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“The way to better regulate it is not to say ‘stop, don’t do anything, let’s figure this out’. The way to do this is to do more sandboxes, more cutting-edge experiments, with transparency, like we’re about to do with Toto Wolff’s F1 team, and involve regulators and governments to see what we are doing”.
Founded in Abu Dhabi, G42 has a global footprint and a team of 2,700 AI experts who provide solutions for molecular medicine, space travel, and more. The company recently made headlines when it partnered with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 to provide data and insights to improve the team’s performance.
News
UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.
The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.
خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024
Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.
Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.
Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.
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The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.
The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.