Pony.ai, a global robotaxi unicorn, weighs global expansion as the world embraces autonomous mobility; His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, addresses the inaugural CTO World Congress.
As the UAE hosts the world’s largest tech and startup show, Dubai unleashed a new era of global AI dominance at GITEX GLOBAL 2023. The event, currently underway at Dubai World Trade Centre until October 20, brings together the world’s brightest minds, forward-thinking governments, and the most advanced companies to redefine the boundaries of the AI economy and shape the future of technological revolution on the planet.
GITEX GLOBAL Explores the Future of Mobility
As driverless car trials continue throughout the world, including the UAE, the impact of driverless mobility on society is starting to be felt. Pony.ai, a $8.5 billion Toyota-backed robotaxi unicorn, designs autonomous vehicles with active deployments in Silicon Valley, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
Speaking at GITEX GLOBAL, Pony.ai co-founder and CFO Dr. Leo Wang said he sees a viable path toward Middle East expansion. The region’s traditionally friendly business environment and readiness to adopt advanced AI technology provide an excellent incentive for innovative businesses. « With its extensive exhibitor list of global tech leaders, GITEX GLOBAL represents the vast breadth of technology available for robocar brands to help forge broad industrial ecosystems, » he said.
Competition is ramping up in the emergent autonomous driving space. Dr. Wang welcomes the rivalry. « Competition is always welcome because the technology and the market potential are progressing much faster. So, you don’t want to be the only player in the field; you want a diverse field so we can all progress together. »
CTOs Confront the Generative AI Era
Generative AI is reshaping the CTO’s playbook, as it requires a new mindset and skill set for leading and managing software development teams. CTOs are under pressure to embrace generative AI as a strategic asset and a competitive advantage to foster innovation and collaboration among developers while addressing the potential challenges and risks of generative AI, such as data privacy violations and AI ethics.
On day two of GITEX GLOBAL, His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, attended the inaugural GITEX CTO World Congress, the year’s largest gathering of tech architects and disruptors. Delivering a keynote on the occasion, H.E. lauded the efforts of GITEX and the CTO World Congress, calling it a platform that brings together the best and brightest, fostering cross-fertilization among startups, individuals, and scientists from around the world to shape the future of technology.
Smart Cities: The Future is Now
More than 50% of smart cities have embraced AI with 5G technology, enabling faster and more reliable communication for connected devices. But this grand vision faces numerous challenges – cybersecurity risks lurking in the shadows, data privacy concerns threatening our every move, while interoperability issues muddy the waters of progress.
In a high-level discussion on the future of smart cities, Chris Wan, Associate Director of Sustainability & CSR, Masdar City, was joined by Jordi Vaquer, Secretary General, World Association of Major Metropolises, Spain; Dr Nasser Saidi, Founder and Chair, Clean Energy Business Council MENA and Thomas Debass, MD & Chief Partnerships Officer, US Department of State discussed ‘Making the Zero Dream a Reality: Decarbonising Cities by 2050’.
The conversation delved into the critical motives for achieving net zero goals as early as possible, citing factors like population growth. The speakers emphasized the daunting task of investing in sustainable urban development and explored potential solutions, including phasing out fossil fuel subsidies to redirect resources toward net zero objectives, implementing a carbon tax and attracting private sector funding in energy transition projects.
The 43rd edition of GITEX GLOBAL (www.GITEX.com) takes place from 16-20 October 2023, the blockbuster tech showpiece once again reaching full capacity at the Dubai World Trade Centre as it prepares to host more than 6,000 exhibitors and 180,000 tech executives from 180 countries. GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star comprise a combined 41 halls spanning 2.7 million sq. ft of exhibition space, a 40% growth year-on-year with 1,800 startups across both. The events converge the best minds and most visionary companies to scrutinise, challenge, define, and empower the digital agendas of the world.
