In an unprecedented move, Abu Dhabi has announced the opening of the world's first dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) university.
The university - Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) - will focus on the fast-growing artificial intelligence technology and will be located in Masdar City – a testbed for innovations in renewable energy and fuel efficiency.
Abu Dhabi is trying to tap the growing market for education on artificial intelligence, which is becoming an integral part of the routine lives of people across the world.
There are lucrative opportunities in using AI in a wide range of industries, which include autonomous vehicles, robotics, data mining and precision medicine.
The formation of the new university is in line with the Gulf state's strategy of leveraging the latest and most innovative technologies, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and chairman of the university, told Gulf News.
Masters, PhD Programmes
MBZUA will invite applications for its two-year masters degree and four-year PhD programme from both local and overseas students and the classes for the first batch are scheduled to start in September 2020. The specialisations include machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing, local media reported.
"The world has entered a new era of technological advancement and rapid innovation, all driven and underpinned by AI. This new era will pave the way for unprecedented opportunities, AI has become a priority and evident across all industries with new technologies being introduced at an incredibly fast pace," Dr Al Jaber added.
In recent years, AI is gaining prominence across the world with the technology immensely helping industries from finance to manufacturing with new products, processes and capabilities. The corporate sector is using the vast amount of data they collect and the internet of things to drive marketing decisions.
From managing global supply chains to optimising delivery routes, artificial intelligence is helping companies improve productivity and the bottom line at every stage of the business lifecycle from sourcing material to sales and accounting to customer service. All these developments in AI technology have created opportunities for specialised professionals.
