Abu Dhabi’s Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council met on Tuesday to review the emirate’s AI projects, including a UAE-US campus and plans for military AI tools. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, National Security Adviser and chairman of the council, chaired the meeting. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and vice chairman, attended.
AI strategy and investment
The council reviewed the UAE-US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi, progress in AI research, the development of specialised talent and open AI models. It also considered the Abu Dhabi government’s plan to become the world’s first fully AI-native administration by 2027.
Sheikh Tahnoon said Abu Dhabi’s ambitions go beyond adopting AI. The emirate aims to develop the underlying technology and shape its economy around it, he said. He stressed that investment, research and international partnerships should build a lasting scientific and technological base in Abu Dhabi.
The council’s review covered technology, as well as the people and institutions expected to work with it. Sheikh Tahnoon said this base would enable people and institutions in the emirate to establish new industries. He also described a model of government with AI at its core.
The 2027 target remains a future goal. The council reviewed the government’s plan to become fully AI-native by then, alongside work on research, talent and open models. The source doesn’t specify a timetable for the other initiatives discussed at the meeting.
Council’s authority and military AI work
The council is Abu Dhabi’s supreme authority for AI and advanced technology projects, investment and research. It sets policies, strategies and priorities across the emirate. Its responsibilities cover the subjects reviewed on Tuesday, including research, investment and the development of AI capabilities.
The meeting also comes as the UAE and the United States pursue a separate initiative focused on military AI. In July, the two countries agreed to create a bilateral task force to speed up the development of AI tools for military purposes. The source gives no year for that July agreement.
Task Force Talon Synapse will be based in Abu Dhabi. It’s expected to comprise about 20 US and Emirati personnel specialising in AI, data and cybersecurity. The task force aims to accelerate the development of military AI tools; the source gives no further details about the tools, projects or operational plans.
The council’s review of the UAE-US AI Campus and the announcement of the bilateral task force are separate items in the account. The campus was among the initiatives reviewed, while the July agreement established Task Force Talon Synapse. Both involve cooperation between the UAE and the United States, but the source doesn’t describe the campus as a military project.
Sheikh Tahnoon linked investment, research and international partnerships to Abu Dhabi’s aim of building scientific and technological capacity. The council reviewed those ambitions alongside the government’s 2027 administration target and efforts to develop specialised talent and open AI models. The military task force, meanwhile, focuses on AI tools for military purposes.