Abu Dhabi’s G42 has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Ali Dalloul, a distinguished technology executive from the United States. With 30 years of experience in spearheading cloud and AI initiatives at Microsoft, Dalloul possesses a remarkable record that aligns with G42’s global growth strategy. Previously the Vice President of Azure AI Customer Experience Engineering at Microsoft, he brings extensive expertise in AI commercialization, enterprise integration, and product strategy.
Responsible AI practices
Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, shared his enthusiasm regarding Dalloul’s new role, noting that his addition as Group Chief Strategy Officer represented a significant milestone for the company. He further emphasized that Dalloul’s extensive knowledge and insights into large-scale AI initiatives were precisely what G42 needed for its international expansion. Xiao remarked that Dalloul’s leadership would be crucial in advancing the company’s strategic goals and reinforcing G42’s position as a responsible leader in the rapidly evolving AI sector.
Dalloul’s vision for AI innovation
Dalloul expressed that joining G42 marked an exciting chapter in his career. He conveyed his enthusiasm about being part of a team at the forefront of AI innovation, a journey he had observed firsthand over the past year. He noted that G42’s commitment to leveraging AI for positive global impact strongly aligned with his vision of how technology can transform industries and improve lives. Dalloul also indicated his eagerness to collaborate on this mission and contribute to unlocking the next wave of AI advancements.
Read more: Abu Dhabi’s AI firm G42 to reveal ‘Intelligence Grid’ at GITEX 2024
New role in U.S. operations
Residing in the United States, Dalloul will also take on the role of Chief Executive Officer for G42’s U.S. operations, where he will lead critical initiatives across the company’s diverse product lines and expansive partnership network. This announcement follows the recent visit by UAE national leaders to the U.S., underscoring the UAE’s pivotal role as an international partner in the American technology landscape.
Partnership with NVIDIA for climate technology
In another development, G42 announced a partnership with NVIDIA aimed at advancing climate technology. The collaboration will focus on developing AI solutions to significantly improve the accuracy of global weather forecasting. This initiative builds on NVIDIA’s Earth-2 platform, which enhances climate and weather predictions through interactive, AI-enhanced, high-resolution simulations.
Focus on enhanced weather forecasting
Initially, G42 and NVIDIA will work on a weather forecasting model with a resolution of one square kilometer, enhancing the precision of meteorological forecasts. Additionally, they will establish a new operational base and climate tech lab in Abu Dhabi, serving as a research and development hub to propel both companies’ commitment to environmental sustainability. This facility will utilize over 100 petabytes of geophysical data to create innovative climate and weather solutions.
Building a robust framework for sustainability
Beyond fostering advancements in climate technology, the G42-NVIDIA initiative aims to create a strong framework for integrating enhanced weather prediction capabilities with comprehensive data metrics and visualization tools. This will enable organizations worldwide to achieve their sustainability objectives through informed, data-driven environmental strategies.
Collaborative efforts with Microsoft
Additionally, G42 has partnered with Microsoft to launch two new centers in Abu Dhabi. Co-founded and co-funded by both companies, with support from the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC), the first center will focus on identifying and promoting best practices and industry standards for the responsible use of AI in the Middle East and Global South. The second center will expand Microsoft’s AI for Good Research Lab into Abu Dhabi, supporting AI projects that target crucial societal challenges.
Advancing responsible AI practices
The first center will gather academic researchers and AI practitioners from the private sector to develop, document, and share emerging best practices in responsible AI. G42 and Microsoft are dedicated to fostering collaboration among individuals and organizations from the Middle East, the Global South, and beyond, to drive advancements in this evolving field.
Launch of AI for Good Lab
Simultaneously, Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab will establish its first center in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi. This lab will leverage AI to collaborate with nonprofit organizations and partners, addressing significant economic and societal issues across the Middle East and Africa. In close partnership with the lab’s existing team in Nairobi, the initiative will prioritize the development of large language models for underrepresented languages, helping to bridge the global language gap. Additionally, it will focus on enhancing food security and climate resilience by applying AI to high-resolution geospatial data, thus improving disaster preparedness and response efforts.
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