Dubai: The government of Dubai launched on Wednesday a new think tank to develop its use of artificial intelligence (AI), partnering with consultancy EY to run a series of roundtables, workshops and panel discussions.

At the event, Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, spoke of the active role the UAE government is taking to accelerate the adoption of AI, and its uses in a number of sectors in the UAE.

Al Olama and Waseem Khan, EY’s regional advisory leader, signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) at the event launch “Think AI”, a series of roundtables, workshops and panel discussions which will see the participation of more than 100 government officials, representatives from the private sector and experts from local and international organisations to discuss the technology.

The UAE has consistently stated its ambitions of becoming a global leader in the technology. According to analysts, the AI industry is estimated to reach a value of $300 billion by 2026, growing at a rate of 38.8 per cent over the next seven years.