Masdar City location will help our AI students thrive like Stanfords says MBZUAI President

Being located in Masdar City will help students from the world’s first university dedicated to research into artificial intelligence (AI) create a new generation of entrepreneurs, rivalling those of Silicon Valley, according to the institute’s president. 

"Our location at Masdar City, a regional hub for technology innovation, is beneficial as our graduates can quickly assimilate into a thriving innovation-driven environment," Professor Eric Xing, President of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), told WAM in an interview. 

The effect could be likened to the role Stanford University played in the development of Silicon Valley in the United States, Professor Xing said, pointing out that IT giants such as HP and Dell were founded by students and faculty from Stanford. 
“It is the dandelion effect at work – as the wind blows, the seeds spread,” he told WAM. “Similarly, by nurturing a culture of research and innovation, we are confident we can create a new generation of entrepreneurs in Abu Dhabi.”   

The emirate “is an open ecosystem that offers innovators the chance to try new ideas, thrive, and advance their careers. In terms of infrastructure, it is among the best destinations in the world to live comfortably while experiencing the local culture. It is a new melting pot for culture and ideas to coexist and to create something new," he added.

AI could boost the development of key industry sectors, including healthcare and energy, as it generates enormous amounts of data, Xing said in the interview. 

"AI can help doctors derive more insights from clinical data to improve their understanding of their patients and make better decisions,” Xing told the news agency. “In addition, unlike human doctors, AI can analyse the data of millions of patients at once."

Energy will also benefit from AI research, according to Xing, explaining that AI could obtain insights to help reduce carbon emissions, increase water and power efficiency, and manage other aspects of energy generation, shipment and transmission. AI could also help predict when preventative maintenance is needed, according to Xing.