The latest graduates from Abu Dhabi’s College of Artificial Intelligence are being asked to tap into the “deep potential” of advanced technology.
A graduation ceremony was held on Sunday for 59 students by Mohammed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence to celebrate the completion of master’s degrees in specialized subjects such as machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing.
It is estimated that AI could contribute $320 billion to the Middle East economy in 2030, of which the UAE will be the biggest beneficiary.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technologies, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Adnok and Chairman of MBZUAI Board of Trustees bottom.
MBZUAI Chairman Eric Singh told the graduates in his speech that the world is witnessing a modern renaissance facilitated by AI.
Technology shaping society
“You’re graduating at a time when education and many other industries are being reshaped by artificial intelligence, exactly what you study,” he said.
“Current educational models centered around memorizing and searching for information often fail to prepare us for the real challenges we face.
“And now we must embrace the profound potential of AI and an educational paradigm that focuses on problem solving.
“By harnessing existing knowledge and creating new knowledge, as graduates of the world’s first AI university, you have a unique ability to chart this evolving landscape.
“As we embark on the next phase of our journey, I would encourage you to remain curious and uphold the virtues of courage, humility, compassion, honor and patience.”
international success
Alumni come from 25 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, China, and parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Founded in 2019, this forward-thinking institution currently has over 200 students, of whom 30.5% are women.
Since its inception, professors and students have been able to publish their work in 456 journals and conferences worldwide.
future job
Klea Ziu, 27, from Albania, was the valedictorian of her class and graduated with a master’s degree in machine learning.
“Now my research area is very important as UAE and overseas countries are trying to introduce AI into their ministries, education etc,” she told the National newspaper.
“Having knowledge about AI will therefore be very important in securing jobs and building careers in the future.”
Jiu said she received “many job offers” but turned them down because she wanted to pursue a doctorate at university.
Machine learning is a type of AI that “learns from experience”. As the software acquires new data, it improves the model over time and gives better results.
This technology is transforming many sectors such as healthcare, education, transportation, entertainment and agriculture.
Maksim Bekzarov, 23, from Ukraine graduated with a master’s degree in computer vision.
He finished his job as a research assistant at a university this summer before moving to the UK to take a full-time job as a machine learning engineer at social media giant Snapchat.
“It’s a great company. I did an internship with them, so I know the team I’m joining, so I’m really excited,” he said.
“I think their approach to work is that no one cares how much time you spend in the office and how you do anything as long as you do well.” I like it.
“I mean, they care about results, and that’s what I like.”
He said he expects AI to develop even more rapidly in the future, so graduating from an institution like MBZUAI is a “very rare opportunity.”
Updated: Jun 4, 2023, 11:27 AM
