UAE joins AI arm race with new open-source AI model

The UAE has joined the Artificial Intelligence (AI) arm race, releasing the Falcon 2 series, a new open-source GenAI model designed to compete with tech giants. Developed by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, Falcon 2 boasts two capabilities:

Falcon 2 11B: A text-based model capable of impressive feats in language processing.

Falcon 2 11B VLM: A vision-to-language model that can analyze and describe images in written text.

This release marks a significant moment for the UAE, a major oil producer striving to diversify its economy and become a leader in the AI field. While the nation invests heavily in AI development, it has faced scrutiny from the US regarding its technology partnerships. Last year, the UAE strategically shifted gears, moving away from Chinese tech and securing a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft with US approval.

The Falcon 2 series arrives amidst a global AI race sparked by the 2022 release of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Interestingly, the UAE has chosen an open-source approach, following the model of Meta's Llama, where anyone can access and utilize the Falcon 2 code. This contrasts with some companies who keep their AI code proprietary.

Expressing confidence in Falcon 2's potential, TII's Secretary General, Faisal Al Bannai, highlighted ongoing development of the "Falcon 3 generation." He emphasized the UAE's ambition to compete with the top players in the global AI landscape.