Dubai – Smart Dubai has collaborated with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and IBM to launch an “AI Hackathon”, which marks UAE Innovation Month and sheds light on the creative aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and ways to harness them to transform Dubai into the happiest and smartest city in the world.

The Hackathon adds to Smart Dubai’s extensive participation in UAE Innovation Month, where it has organised a series of events and projects that employ innovations in advanced technologies to facilitate people’s lives and promote happiness.

Her Excellency Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office (SDO), reiterated Smart Dubai’s commitment to promoting innovation in communities and business environments, by introducing innovative projects and initiatives in smart-city building.

The AI Hackathon, launched in partnership with Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority and IBM, we seek to leverage the potential of artificial intelligence, which plays a pivotal role in the smart-city industry,” Dr Aisha added, “and through the hackathon, we aim to motivate the youth to innovate, to explore the important opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and to address their challenges in vital sectors including education, transport and tourism. Artificial Intelligence provides best-in-class solutions for our customers, and promotes happiness in society, in line with the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071 Plan.”

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the board of directors and director general of Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said, “Our future relies on creating opportunities for young students to flourish and experiment with new ideas. This hackathon has highlighted the potential of collaboration and quick decision-making with an emphasis to solve challenges in the education sector. The speed of innovation combined with power of artificial intelligence has brought out the best ideas that reflect the future skills expected from our students. We thank our partners in the public and private sector for coming together to enhance opportunities for life-long learning learning.”

"AI has the potential to enhance and extend human capability and to unlock new streams of opportunities. Not only will AI augment human intelligence but, similar to any transformative technology, it will contribute to new forms of employment too. Dubai is one of the leading cities that is leveraging its true ability to work in partnership with humans and create new jobs for its people," said Amr Refaat, General Manager, IBM Middle East and Pakistan.

Smart Dubai had organised a workshop in its headquarters to announce the AI Hackathon, which seeks to find new uses for the technology, and usher in a new phase in Dubai’s development into a fully-fledged smart city.

The Hackathon offers solutions and prototypes for three key challenges that will redefine sectors in Dubai. These include transportation, where projects sought to increase usage of public transportation, especially during rush hours in Dubai. The second challenge, meanwhile, tackled education, which sought to encourage the people of Dubai to pursue lifelong learning programmes, whereas the third and final challenge tackles tourism and seeks to introduce Dubai’s residents and visitors to activities that promote happiness.

The requirements for participating in the challenge include focusing on user experiences and access to data; setting solutions that take into account the artificial intelligence platforms offered by Smart Dubai, most notable of which is “Rashid”. As Smart Dubai’s flagship AI service, “Rashid” seeks to enhance AI skills in the UAE to implement and develop applications that would streamline government transactions.

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© Press Release 2018