Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed named on global list of 100 most influential people in AI

Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, has been named one of the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence in a new Time magazine list.

Sheikh Tahnoun, who serves as chairman of Abu Dhabi’s leading artificial intelligence and cloud computing group, G42, was joined on the global ranking by high-profile technology leaders such as ChatGPT creator Sam Altman and Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.

Faisal Al Bannai, chairman of the board of directors of Edge Group, the Abu Dhabi-based defence and technology company, was also among the top 100.

In April Mr Al Bannai was appointed by President Sheikh Mohamed as Adviser for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, carrying the rank of a government minister.

The Time100 AI list aims to shines a light on leaders, innovators, shapers and thinkers who are playing a crucial role in harnessing the cutting-edge tool.

Sheikh Tahnoun is part of the “shapers” category, which also features representatives from Google and Reddit, plus Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson, who has highlighted the need for the advanced technology’s growth to be carefully regulated after telling of her dismay at a ChatGPT voice assistant which sounded “eerily similar to her”.

Sheikh Tahnoun has played a significant role in the UAE’s efforts to champion the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

In April, G42 received a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft. The expanded partnership includes the creation of a $1 billion fund to support developers aimed at enhancing the Middle East’s technology talent pool.

“Microsoft’s investment in G42 marks a pivotal moment in our company’s journey of growth and innovation, signifying a strategic alignment of vision and execution between the two organisations,” said Sheikh Tahnoun at the time.

Mr Al Bannai was included in the “leader” section of the list, which also features technology pioneers Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, praised Sheikh Tahnoun and Mr Al Bannai for making the list.

“The homeland is proud of you and is betting on what you bet on and the future is built with you and by you,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on X
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, was part of the inaugural list in September 2023.

The UAE’s commitment to the field was demonstrated when it established the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in 2019.

The first batch of students to enrol at Abu Dhabi’s artificial intelligence university graduated in January 2023.

A new Abu Dhabi-developed artificial intelligence large language model for Arabic was unveiled last year, aiming to bring one of the world’s most widely used languages into the AI mainstream.

Jais, an open-source bilingual Arabic-English model, was developed by Inception, a unit of Abu Dhabi AI company G42, Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Silicon Valley-based Cerebras Systems.