A Rising Star In The East Lights A Path To Responsible Artificial Intelligence: The Mohammed Bin Zayed University Of AI

By David Walcott

Originally published in Forbes on June 13, 2023

As we hurtle into the 21st century, the pivotal role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays in reshaping our world cannot be ignored. True to the age-old wisdom of Heraclitus, who said, “Change is the only constant in life,” we recognize that AI is not merely catalyzing transformations across industries — it is igniting a global engine of innovation that is rapidly changing our realities. According to Accenture, AI applications can potentially create $150 billion in annual savings in global healthcare by 2026: a seismic potentiality that is mirrored across many other industries.

Given the dynamic and iterative evolution that has come to define AI technology, ground-breaking initiatives around the world aspire to harness its benefits and steer them towards the betterment of our world or, in some cases, the deepening of their pockets. Among the former, the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) stands out as a trailblazing torchbearer, the first university devoted exclusively to the advancement of AI.

Shifting the paradigm

At its essence, AI encapsulates the creation of systems capable of perception, reasoning, learning, and interaction, rivaling, if not surpassing, human abilities. As “the great understander,” its ability to process, analyze, and learn from vast amounts of data at unimaginable speeds transcends human limitations, allowing us to unlock new realms of knowledge. Acting as a universal translator between humans and the digital world, it simplifies the complex, uncovers the concealed, and deepens our insight at a pace unimagined in days of yore.

In the expansive sphere of human knowledge, Socrates’s renowned axiom, ‘The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing,’ resounds with profound significance. This paradoxical wisdom not only highlights humanity’s relentless quest for knowledge but also emphasizes the necessity of evolving our understanding.

The concept of ‘connectionism,’ initially coined in the 1980s, presents a fitting paradigm in this regard. It espouses the design of computational models inspired by human cognition’s interconnected networks, an approach championed by President of the MBZUAI and renowned AI expert, Professor Eric Xing. Connectionism empowers us to utilize neural networks, revealing patterns and correlations that traditional methods might overlook. Such an approach fuels the creation of advanced predictive models and enhances our understanding of intricate phenomena, from biological processes to subtle behavioral dynamics. It therefore serves as an embodiment of Socratic wisdom, perpetually expanding the limits of our knowledge, and thus, what we can achieve.

This has heralded a wave of transformations that reverberate across sectors. In healthcare, it has exponentially amplified our ability to determine early diagnoses, enhance treatment effectiveness, and drive intricate and enigmatic research. A prominent example lies in the recent breakthrough against an existential healthcare threat, antimicrobial resistance, classified by theWHO as one of the top ten global public health threats in 2019. As our arsenal of effective antibiotics rapidly depleted, the need for novel solutions became critical.

In a pioneering move in drug development, artificial intelligence was employed to screen thousands of antibacterial molecules, resulting in the identification of a new antibacterial compound that could potentially alter our epidemiological trajectory. This parallels similarly transformative work done led by Dr. Mohammad Yaqub in medical image analysis, radiomics and radiogenomics at the MBZUAI, all testaments to the immense AI in navigating complex health challenges.

Writing the narrative from east to west

Although artificial intelligence has been germinating in the recesses – and our pockets – for several decades, it is only in the recent past that it has erupted into mainstream acceptance and application. The consumerization of AI, notably propelled by ChatGPT, has sparked a frenzy of activity that has driven a diverse array of stakeholders to invest in AI research, education, and application with fervent intensity.

In the commercial sphere, tech behemoths such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have channeled vast resources towards dedicated AI research labs. Unflaggingly, these powerhouses are crafting, honing, and rolling out AI technologies that are revolutionizing countless industries and services by the minute. Importantly, they are trailblazing in the development of their own large language models, further cementing their unchallenged standing in the AI landscape.

Amidst this constellation of tech giants stands the MBZUAI as a solitary lighthouse within the academic seascape. Along with its co-collaborators, it is one of the only academic institutions carving a niche in developing a large language model – standing amongst the titans of technology – as it melds the rigour and curiosity-driven nature of academia with the pragmatism and impact-focus of industry. This demonstrates the global nature of AI advancement and sets a new precedent of Eastern academia’s ability to capably compete with the West, steering the global discourse on AI development, deployment and ultimately, its destiny.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread

However, like any technological advancement, the assimilation of AI into society calls for deliberate and contemplative reflection. The tantalizing promise of unprecedented productivity and efficiency ought to be judiciously balanced against broader societal ramifications, including the ones we know – unemployment and potential erosion of privacy – and the ones we don’t. Echoing the sentiments of thinkers such as Sam Harris, who posits that AI is “the most important question facing humanity”, we find ourselves in the crucible of technological introspection, wrestling with pivotal issues surrounding privacy, ethics, bias and a daunting asymptote of unknown unknowns.

Our times call for a balanced approach that harnesses the awe-inspiring potential of this technology to propel innovation & addresses the hard questions presented by the proverbial opening of Pandora’s box. Historian Yuval Noah Harari has warned us of darker implications of AI, which necessitate prudent regulation, vibrant public discourse, and innovative strategies to mitigate unforeseen consequences. In this light, the MBZUAI emerges as a beacon amidst a tumultuous sea of commerce-driven deployment of AI, signaling its commitment towards the democratization of this powerful tool. In addition to venturing into largely unexplored terrain through creating its own large language model, an endeavor tantamount to charting the vast expanse of unexplored galaxies, the university bears an intense commitment to ensuring the benefits of AI are universally accessible, aligning with its ethos of democratic inclusivity.

As we boldly traverse deeper into this uncharted era, we must ensure that the benefits of AI echo in every corner of the world, shattering the historical precedent that confines such advancements to a privileged few. Now an integral part of our lives, AI wields the power to tackle grand challenges that have long thwarted human intellect, from climate change to inequality, and everything in between. Poised at the brink of an unprecedented era, destiny in our firm grasp, we are tasked to chart the future with due forethought. In a world where AI can be more than a tool, but a linchpin of equitable progress, MBZUAI leads the charge, with aims to tackle our the greatest challenges of humanity with AI and re-engineer the very code that drives humanity itself. As we march into this uncharted future, let us ensure that our progress remains grounded in conscience, and turn the power of artificial intelligence into genuine societal transformation.