Emirates Foundation and Responsible AI Forge Strategic Partnership at UNGA to Drive Global Social Good

The Emirates Foundation entered into a strategic partnership agreement with the Responsible AI Future Foundation in New York on Wednesday, marking a significant step in the UAE's ongoing global initiative to leverage technology for social betterment. The formal signing preceded a high-level discussion focusing on artificial intelligence, philanthropy, and inclusive growth, which was hosted at the UAE's mission to the UN during the UN General Assembly.

Established in Abu Dhabi in 2005, the Emirates Foundation operates as a philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing social development via public-private partnerships. Meanwhile, the Responsible AI Future Foundation—initially launched by Microsoft and Abu Dhabi's G42, alongside the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence as a foundational academic partner—collaborates with governments and entities across the Middle East and the Global South. Its mission is to assist nations in developing sovereign AI capabilities tailored to their specific cultural contexts, languages, and requirements.

According to the official announcement, the two foundations will combine their efforts to direct AI toward broader societal advantages, implement responsible AI practices, foster capacity and skills, and ensure that technological benefits reach populations facing critical needs. Ahmed Al Shamsi, secretary general of the Emirates Foundation, explained to The National following the ceremony that the agreement forms part of a broader venture by the foundation and the UAE surrounding the concept of "AI for good."

"We want to work with the world to build use cases and then actually cascade them down to communities that are in need, but also empower them and skill them to take these use cases as their own and benefit their communities and humanity in the ways they see fit," Mr Al Shamsi stated. He emphasized that the Wednesday signing serves as a major milestone in an initiative that has been underway for the past year and a half, rather than an initial starting point, allowing them to activate solutions on both a national and global scale.

Discussing the choice to announce the partnership during the UN General Assembly, Mr Al Shamsi remarked, "The whole world is here at UNGA, and I think there's no use in just announcing something in the comfort of your own space. We want to tell everyone that the UAE is a platform for everyone to come and join hands for the benefit of all communities across the world."

Mohamed Al Hosani, director of business development and partnership at the Emirates Foundation, noted that subsequent actions will involve collaborating with local and international organizations to guarantee that the applied AI solutions deliver genuine community support. The foundation's operational approach centers around the "four Ps," which Mr Al Shamsi identified as people, philanthropy, public, and private sectors.

Concluding that practical execution is already underway rather than remaining strictly theoretical, Mr Al Shamsi highlighted a currently operating sandbox environment within the foundation. This setup has allowed various use cases to mature and approach readiness, ultimately poised for deployment as community-serving innovations originating from the UAE.