UAE, France sign artificial intelligence MoU

Developing the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems of the UAE and France through a combination of investment programmes and collaboration is the aim of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries in Abu Dhabi.

The agreement between the Abu Dhabi Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC) and the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty will also foster the responsible development and deployment of AI.

It was signed by Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and member of AIATC, and Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty.

The partnership will cover the following areas of collaboration:

• Data centre and supercomputing infrastructure buildout: This initiative will make cost-competitive AI training and inferencing capacity available to both French and European enterprises, as well as foster partnerships with international and local cloud and computing capacity operators to enable innovation and R&D.

• Investment in the UAE, French, and global AI ecosystem: The UAE and France will explore investment opportunities in start-ups and investment funds focused on AI models, artificial intelligence applications in key sectors (health, financial services, software, retail, industry), and next-generation hardware.

• Manufacturing and sourcing cooperation: The partnership will explore opportunities for the bilateral production and offtake of semiconductors, including leading-edge and essential chips for AI applications.

• Talent pipeline: The two countries will explore an education initiative to offer best-in-class AI training to nurture and develop talent across the UAE and French AI ecosystems.