Harnessing AI for more Arabic content will be ‘freeing creativity’

Named after the UAE’s highest peak, Jais was developed by Core42 in collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Cerebras Systems. (Core 42/YouTube)
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Updated 26 January 2024
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Harnessing AI for more Arabic content will be ‘freeing creativity’

  • Advertising agency TBWA\RAAD last year partnered with Core42, parent company of Arabic large-language model Jais
  • Developing Jais’ potential in media and marketing industries will not replace humans, says advertising executive

DUBAI: Advertising agency TBWA\RAAD partnered with Core42 last year to harness the potential of Arabic large-language model Jais in the creative sector, a move which could also see greater online content created in the language spoken by millions worldwide.

Named after the UAE’s highest peak, Jais was developed by Core42 in collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Cerebras Systems.

Jais is bilingual, but “it is purpose-built for Arabic,” said Ihsan Anabtawi, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer at Core42.

Although there are over 400 million Arabic speakers around the world, only 1 percent of online content is in Arabic, so “there’s definitely a need to serve the Arabic language but also do it in a bilingual way in order to expand the reach,” Anabtawi told Arab News.

Jais’ capabilities are broad with potential for multiple applications across industries, but it currently specializes in content generation, summarization and translation, he explained.

The first version of the model was trained on 13 billion parameters with the most recent version, introduced in November, being trained on 30 billion.

There was an “element of cultural preservation and amplification” with regard to Jais’ Arabic capabilities, but the company also wanted to broaden its reach to a diverse audience that accurately reflects the demographics of Jais’ birthplace, the UAE, said Anabtawi.

Arabic has multiple nuances with several dialects across the Middle East and North Africa region. Purposefully building Jais for Arabic allowed the company to have “a differentiated approach in terms of quality and content” while its bilingual nature enables the model to have varied applications for both people and businesses.  

Anabtawi believes Jais is equally fluent in both English and Arabic. The latest model showed a 40 to 60 percent increase in Arabic and a 233 percent increase in English when it comes to longer and more detailed answers. In addition, there was a 53 percent improvement in summarization in Arabic and 85 percent in English.

For TBWA, “innovation has been a big part of our narrative for the last several years, and we had been looking at generative AI as part of our creative toolset for quite some time,” said Noah Khan, regional president of Digital & Innovation, CEE, Middle East and Africa at TBWA.

He told Arab News that the partnership with Core42 was “incredibly exciting” for two reasons.

First, the agency was proud of its roots and believes in partnerships, particularly with homegrown companies, and second, it gives TBWA an opportunity to celebrate the Arabic language, which has been a priority for the agency and its chairman Ramzi Raad since its establishment.

The agency has worked with other generative AI platforms in the past but the work “is currently confined to internal use only due to legal and copyright concerns,” Khan said.

He describes the relationship between the two companies as a “two-way partnership.”

Jais will allow the agency to “superpower our creative capabilities, especially with Arabic” as well as enable it to “use these models to train the next generation of Arabic specialists,” Khan explained.

The latter means that the agency will play a role in training and developing Jais’ capabilities to shape it into a more useful tool for the media and creative industries.

He said: “The focus is to start growing this as part of our capabilities as we evolve and transform ourselves; we see this as a means to augmenting ourselves to be bigger, better, and faster.”

Khan and Anabtawi both liken Jais and other generative AI model technologies to the mobile phone or computer where humans learned to work with technology.

While there has been exponential growth and interest in large-language models, spurred on by ChatGPT, companies are still exploring how they can implement these technologies in a responsible way, Anabtawi said.

Individuals can use these models in their current form in multiple ways, but when “applying it to the business context, there’s a lot more that can be done,” he added.

The challenge is multifaceted as companies leverage AI to solve problems across industries, but it also raises the question of the future of the workforce.

Anabtawi said: “How do you prepare the next generation of workers? What jobs does the market need in the future and how do we reskill and upskill?”

Khan said: “There have always been concerns that the technology is going to replace the people, but what normally happens is the technology gives people the ability to do more.

“The speed at which you’re able to adapt and use that technology to the best of your abilities then gets you to stand out from everybody else.”

Anabtawi echoed the sentiment adding that it was not technology that replaced human talent, it was another human who knew how to use that technology.

At TBWA, for example, AI is not going to replace Arabic copywriters, said Khan.

He added: “There are tasks that we could offset to a generative machine that then frees up the time of individuals to focus on other areas that they normally (not) be able to do … so we see this as a way of freeing creativity.”

 

 


Sky News Arabia opens new headquarters, announces fresh programming

Updated 23 January 2025
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Sky News Arabia opens new headquarters, announces fresh programming

DUBAI: Sky News Arabia, part of media group IMI, has opened its new headquarters in the same building as the IMI HQ on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

The new HQ features advanced broadcasting studios fitted with the latest AI technologies, the company said.

Sky News Arabia has also launched a new programming grid covering politics, lifestyle, sports, business and entertainment.

The announcements come 12 years after the channel’s launch.

They mark a new chapter that “embodies our forward-thinking strategy to anticipate and exceed audience expectations by embracing cutting-edge technologies and delivering diverse, engaging programming that transcends borders, setting new benchmarks for excellence,” said Rani Raad, CEO of IMI and president and operating partner of Redbird IMI.

The company has been working over the past year to elevate “the way each of the media companies within our network engage with audiences, to ensure we continue to deliver content that truly resonates,” he added.

The new programming will include shows such as “Studio One” hosted by Fadila Souissi, which will highlight political and societal issues, and the “Emad Eldin Adib” show, which will focus on politics in the Arab world.

Sky News Arabia is also expanding its lineup of non-political shows. The “Al Sabah Show” will return, featuring segments on health, fashion, law, and celebrities. It will be hosted by Maha Abdullah, Ahmed Qassem, Hani Ziadeh, Christine Dagher and Lubna Mansour.

The show will extend to digital channels and social media platforms through 12 specifically tailored mini-segments.

“In an era of rapid change and information overload, we are committed to empowering our audience with the tools to navigate and discern credible news,” said Nadim Koteich, general manager of Sky News Arabia.

He added: “By providing transparent, engaging and diverse content across politics, economics, lifestyle and technology, we ensure that Sky News Arabia remains a credible source of information that meets the dynamic needs of our viewers.”


Benefits of AI economy must be equitably distributed, says UN tech envoy in Davos

Updated 23 January 2025
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Benefits of AI economy must be equitably distributed, says UN tech envoy in Davos

  • Amandeep Singh Gill seeks ‘global’ efforts to tackle digital divide
  • ‘We need to have a more collaborative and respectful approach’

DAVOS:The power of artificial intelligence and quantum computing must be harnessed to benefit nations across the world, not only developed economies, said Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN’s envoy on technology, on Thursday.

Speaking during a panel titled “From High-Performance Computing to High- Performance Problem Solving,” Gill said that countries in Africa, for example, hold less than 0.5 percent of graphic processing units worldwide.

Also participating in the discussion were Georges-Olivier Reymond, co-founder and CEO of PASQAL; Ana Paula Assis, senior vice president and chair IBM EMEA and Growth Markets; and Paul Alivisatos, president of the University of Chicago.

“My challenge is to convince policymakers who have limited resources to invest in the digital divide, data and AI and quantum development as well,” explained the envoy.

“There is a backlash against the neo-colonial situation, where the tech is developed in just a few geographies, and the rest of the world is takers of this tech. You can call it the sovereignty backlash … we need to have a more collaborative and respectful approach,” he added.

When asked by panel moderator Azeem Azhar, CEO of Exponential View, about the risk of uncertainty in the field of quantum computing, Gill said he sees an opportunity more than a risk.

“We are at an early stage in terms of the science and technology of developing things so different technologies might be used. A degree of uncertainty and diversity is important,” he added.

But the envoy emphasized the need to have a unified global force that would ensure everyone can participate in this area of technology.

“When we look at the global majority, not everyone will be able to use quantum computing, the cryptographic effort has to be global, it can’t be isolated,” he said.

Gill said the world is shifting toward quantum infrastructure in order to reduce energy consumption. According to the envoy, today’s AI systems consume a great deal of energy.

The UN deemed 2025 as the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.” This initiative aims to celebrate quantum mechanics and educate people on its impacts on technology, culture, and understanding of the world.


Al Jazeera says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters

Updated 23 January 2025
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Al Jazeera says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters

  • The Qatar-based news network reported that its reporter Mohammed Al-Atrash was arrested from his home

The Al Jazeera news network says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters after preventing him from covering an Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank.
The Qatar-based news network reported Thursday that its reporter, Mohammed Al-Atrash, was arrested from his home.
It said Palestinian security forces had earlier prevented him from reporting on a large Israeli military operation in Jenin, an epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian violence in recent years. The Palestinian Authority launched its own crackdown on militants in the city late last year.
There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Authority.
Both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority banned Al Jazeera last year. Israel accuses it of being a mouthpiece of Hamas over its coverage of the war in the Gaza Strip and says some of its reporters are also militants.
The pan-Arab broadcaster has rejected the allegations and accused both Israel and the Palestinian Authority of trying to silence critical coverage.
The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters. It is unpopular among Palestinians, with critics portraying it as a corrupt and authoritarian ally of Israel.


South Sudan orders temporary ban on social media over violence in neighboring Sudan

Updated 23 January 2025
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South Sudan orders temporary ban on social media over violence in neighboring Sudan

  • Many South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that purports to show killings by militia groups of South Sudanese in Gezira state

JUBA, South Sudan: South Sudanese authorities on Wednesday ordered telecoms to block access to social media for at least 30 days, citing concerns over the dissemination of graphic content relating to the ongoing violence against South Sudanese in neighboring Sudan.
The temporary ban, which could be extended to up to 90 days, will come into force at midnight Thursday, according to a directive from the National Communication Authority, NCA, to telecom companies stressing that the measure was necessary to protect the public.
“This directive may be lifted as soon as the situation is contained,” the NCA said. “The contents depicted violate our local laws and pose a significant threat to public safety and mental health.”
Many South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that purports to show killings by militia groups of South Sudanese in Gezira state. South Sudanese authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Jan. 17 after a night of retaliatory violence during which shops owned by Sudanese traders were looted.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, condemned “the brutal killings of South Sudanese nationals” in Sudan and urged restraint.
Civil war in Sudan has created a widening famine and the world’s largest displacement crisis. Fighting between forces loyal to rival military leaders exploded in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023 and has since spread to other areas.
The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the UN and rights groups.
 


‘Controlling technology does not bridge the divide,’ says e& chief at WEF

Updated 23 January 2025
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‘Controlling technology does not bridge the divide,’ says e& chief at WEF

  • Hatem Dowidar said that while poorer nations may lack the expertise and resources to build AI infrastructure, governance and data sovereignty could unlock opportunities for decentralizing such technologies
  • Brad Smith pointed to Microsoft’s $1 billion investment, in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AI firm G42, in establishing a data center in Kenya as an indication of decentralization efforts

LONDON: Controlling key technologies such as artificial intelligence does little to bridge the divide between richer and poorer nations, hindering the potential to benefit all, according to Hatem Dowidar, group chief executive officer of e&.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Dowidar highlighted the need for a shift in mindset among regulators to “close the divide rather than widen it.”

He said that the challenge lay less in countries lacking the expertise or resources to build AI infrastructure and more in governance and data sovereignty issues, which often required external handling.

“We do have a couple of cases now where agreements have been done that allow for data to be handled securely,” he said. “In other markets, there are a few lighthouse cases that allows this to happen, and actually some of the hyperscalers — Microsoft and AWS — are working on creating these ring-fenced sovereign clouds that can serve countries from another country while really preserving that integrity and sovereignty.”

Dowidar explained that while many countries lacked access to AI know-how and connectivity, the energy-intensive process of training AI models presented perhaps a more significant barrier.

“So there is a possibility where you can have these central areas, where we can serve the countries that don’t have the massive energy needed to teach the models, but then we need to relax the AI data sovereignty issues,” he said.

Participating in the panel, “AI: Lifting All Boats,” Brad Smith, vice-chair and president of Microsoft, discussed his company’s push toward a decentralized approach to AI development. He pointed to Microsoft’s $1 billion investment, in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AI firm G42, to establish a data center in Kenya as an example of such efforts.

“It is hard to spend a billion dollars to support 50 million people in Kenya alone, but we’re doing it,” he said. “But the real question is, can we grow that and can we reach Rwanda? We can, but only under one circumstance that you get Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and Kenya and Ethiopia, that you get the East African Community to decide together that they will all use that data center.”

He called this type of development “a data zone, just like we have free trade zones that will get us halfway there.”

However, Smith emphasized that the private sector alone could not shoulder the burden of such investments. Local governments and international institutions were essential to “kickstart the demand” if regions such as East Africa were to bridge the divide and compete on the global stage.

The panelists also criticized the US for its protectionist approach, particularly the imposition of export controls on competitive nations such as China.

While acknowledging that American technology currently held a significant edge, they argued that these restrictive policies were fueling rival nations to “catch up in various ways, partly by driving them to develop more frugal and innovative models.”