G42 and Microsoft have announced the establishment in Abu Dhabi of two new centres to advance their collective Responsible AI goals, building on a partnership announced earlier this year, and marking the beginning of several additional steps aimed at ensuring the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence.
The first centre, co-founded and co-funded by G42 and Microsoft, with the endorsement of the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC), will identify, develop, and advance best practices and standards to ensure the responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence in the Middle East, and developing countries with digital and technological infrastructure gaps.
The second centre represents an expansion of Microsoft’s AI for Good Research Lab into Abu Dhabi, which will support AI projects that address key societal goals, such as addressing climate change, combating poverty, achieving sustainable development, and other related issues.
The first centre will convene academic researchers and AI practitioners from across the private sector to develop, document, and share emerging Responsible AI best practices. G42 and Microsoft will work closely with the centre to bring together individuals and organisations from across the world, particularly the Middle East and developing countries, to ensure the implementation of best practices in this emerging technology.
Simultaneously, Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab will open a centre in Abu Dhabi, its first in the Middle East. This new lab will harness the power of AI to collaborate with nonprofit organisations and partners, addressing key economic and societal challenges across the Middle East and Africa.
Working in close collaboration with the lab’s existing team in Nairobi, the Abu Dhabi team will prioritise the development of large language models for underrepresented languages, helping bridge the global language divide. It will also focus on advancing food security and strengthening climate resilience by applying AI to high-resolution geospatial data, enhancing disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
The partnership will work alongside the Abu Dhabi Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology, established last January, to develop research plans and programmes in collaboration with local and global partners. The goal is to enhance Abu Dhabi's position in the fields of artificial intelligence and advanced technology, contributing to driving innovation and progress in these vital areas.
The two centres build on the work that Microsoft and G42 are undertaking together to implement Responsible AI standards and practices. This includes ensuring that the two companies’ generative AI models and applications are developed, deployed, and used safely – a commitment that is at the heart of the Responsible AI policies that Microsoft has developed and implemented, and that G42 is now adopting as part of their partnership and the commitments made to the US and UAE governments.
The policies govern the design and use of AI applications, incorporate digital safety and cybersecurity plans for model training and deployment, and establish red teaming processes to harden AI systems against probing, testing, and attacks. G42's adoption of the policies aim to enhance the UAE's position as a trusted global AI hub and ensure that Microsoft and G42 AI technologies running on Azure are responsibly shared with a growing joint customer base globally.
Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, said: “By advancing Responsible AI together with Microsoft, we are creating a framework for AI to serve all of humanity. These new centres reflect our shared vision for leveraging technology to solve real-world challenges, positioning Abu Dhabi as a global hub for AI innovation that prioritises safety, trust, and collaboration, especially across the global south.”
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, said: “Today’s steps will add to the important progress Microsoft and G42 are making to broaden access to the responsible, safe, and secure use of artificial intelligence. We are committed to additional steps with G42 that advance responsible AI use for customers and that strengthen the relationship not only between our two companies, but between our two countries.”
Since Microsoft and G42 launched their partnership in April, the two companies have been executing under the commitments of the Intergovernmental Assurance Agreement, with support and oversight by both the UAE and US Governments.
As a matter of corporate policy instituted earlier this year, G42 and its affiliates do not conduct business with any entity listed on the US Government Consolidated Screening List. The Microsoft and G42 compliance committee meets quarterly, and the two teams maintain weekly progress reviews. G42's compliance programme is designed to be best in class, ensuring the highest standards of business practices and security principles.
This partnership presents a strategic opportunity to bring world-class technology to underserved regions such as the global south. G42's efforts in creating a regulated and monitored environment for deploying US-developed advanced technology systems are essential for meeting international AI demands. The collaboration aims to bridge the digital divide, address pressing social challenges, and promote democratic norms in cyberspace. G42 and Microsoft have already announced a US$1 billion investment in Kenya leveraging geothermal energy and are actively exploring other strategic markets.
In addition, the migration of G42's legacy public cloud infrastructure to Microsoft Azure began in November 2023 and is continuing as planned. This migration is critical for ensuring secure and efficient operations. Microsoft and G42 believe in the transformative power of AI and cloud technologies, and their partnership is built on a foundation of trust, security, shared values, and a commitment to the highest standards of regulatory compliance in order to contribute to global technological advancement.
