ChatGPT is coming to smartphones
OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman has hailed the UAE's importance to the industry, praising the government for being an early adopter. Image Credit: Shutterstock

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is teaming up with Abu Dhabi’s leading artificial intelligence firm as part of an expansion within the UAE and the broader region.

The partnership with G42 will focus on delivering OpenAI’s generative AI models across sectors spanning financial services to energy and healthcare.

“Leveraging G42’s industry expertise, we aim to empower businesses and communities with effective solutions that resonate with the nuances of the region,” said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of San Francisco-based OpenAI.

The partnership is a “convergence of value and vision”, G42 CEO Peng Xiao said. The companies didn’t disclose financial details of their collaboration.

The Abu Dhabi firm has been at the forefront of the UAE’s push into AI. It’s partnering with Cerebras Systems Inc., which recently built the first of nine AI supercomputers as an alternative to systems using Nvidia Corp technology. Last year, G42 also set up the multi-billion dollar 42XFund to invest in tech companies across emerging markets.

Since debuting last year, OpenAI’s tools have driven a rush of international investment into AI-supporting infrastructure by showcasing the potential of human-like intelligence using vast data centers.

In a trip to the sun-splashed emirate in June, Altman hailed the UAE’s importance to the industry, praising the government for being an early adopter.

“There have been discussions around AI in Abu Dhabi before it was cool,” he told a crowd at the emirate’s international financial free zone.