The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) continues its research efforts to advance artificial intelligence (AI) and harness it as a global force that contributes to the progress and well-being of humanity.

With the knowledge and competence to continue the technology development process in the country and the world, MBZUAI is currently dedicating three key pillars of research – health, climate, and education.

MBZUAI is a graduate research university that strives to establish and evolve interdisciplinary, collaborative research and development capabilities in AI, while educating students to be innovators and leaders with the breadth and depth of knowledge to grow technology and enterprise in the UAE and globally.

The university also has a vital role in many of the UAE Government’s strategic objectives, with AI identified as a critical component for future growth and prosperity. MBZUAI’s strategic vision and mission work in parallel to position Abu Dhabi as a hub for the international AI community.

MBZUAI now ranks 19th globally in its areas of specialisation – AI, computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP). In August 2023, MBZUAI established two new departments and four associated graduate programmes dedicated to robotics and computer science to meet the global demand for the two disciplines.

AI is being used to democratise education and give greater access to powerful learning tools, especially for disadvantaged groups, including lower socioeconomic families, remote communities, those with learning disabilities or barriers to traditional learning, and girls and young women in certain parts of the world.

Technologies, including AI, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), are developing rapidly, while internet access is becoming more ubiquitous. This opens up the opportunity to bring transformative education solutions to children who may not have a place at a traditional school.

At MBZUAI, AI is used to develop ways to create realistic 3D videos and avatars from 2D images. This is important because creating 3D content for VR and AR is traditionally very expensive and time-consuming.

Using AI, faculty and researchers are working to reduce this cost and even create 3D content in real-time. This will allow them to create realistic 3D avatars of teachers and students, paving the way for more engaging virtual classrooms. MBZUAI’s Metaverse Lab can now create realistic 3D versions of historical figures, recreate key moments from history, or show the functioning of human organs in 3D.

In many parts of the world, this type of technology could help bring high-quality personalised education to children who otherwise lack access to education. Where education systems are more developed, this technology can still be used to enhance education and support teachers with immersive 3D content and tools that help bring education to life.

With AI tutors, MBZUAI faculty are trying to improve how education works for everyone and make it personalised so that every student’s educational needs can be addressed. In these instances, the AI must not be biased, and the human algorithm creation must not be affected by personal preconceptions, gender, culture, or politics. It must follow good-quality datasets and be capable of assessing student’s answers, providing tips, hints and evaluating what is missing.

AI will never replace teachers, but it will make their jobs easier, improve their satisfaction levels, and lead to higher student outcomes. As with most societal advancements, it comes with opportunities and challenges and requires guidelines for best practices. Technology is already at the level where we can use it to provide people with a high-quality education.

This perpetual learning and teaching system is based on MBZUAI’s expertise in NLP, causal inference, reinforcement learning, trustworthy AI, and explainable AI. It will make the UAE a leader in tele-education, and personalised primary and secondary teaching while producing a large, qualified workforce.

The MBZUAI Executive Programme is a 12-week, intensive experience developed to support the need for AI-savvy leaders across government, industry, academia, and beyond. The programme is led by some of the top global minds and innovators in the AI industry, and it provides executives with a practical grounding in AI and its implications on business and policymaking.