In a first-of-its-kind move globally, the United Arab Emirates has announced plans to appoint a national artificial intelligence system as an “advisory member” of the Cabinet and federal councils starting in 2026.
Introduction: designing the future today
The United Arab Emirates continues its global leadership in adopting and applying future technologies, this time with a step that goes beyond merely using artificial intelligence as an executive tool to integrating it into the core of government decision-making at the highest levels. Officials stated that this approach reflects the country’s vision of proactively “designing the future” rather than simply adapting to it or waiting for it to happen.
The role of the intelligent “advisory member”
The artificial intelligence will not have voting rights, but will serve as a super-powered advisory member. The system will be supplied with massive amounts of data related to all government, economic, and social sectors in the country. It will instantly analyze this data, provide insights, identify patterns, simulate future scenarios, and suggest data-driven policy recommendations. For example, the government could ask the AI: “What is the potential economic and social impact of a proposed new policy over the next ten years?” The system will provide a comprehensive analysis to help make a more informed decision.
Objective: enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of decision-making
The primary goal of this initiative is to make government decision-making more efficient, accurate, and objective. By relying on advanced data analytics, the government can better evaluate the impact of its decisions, identify future challenges early, and allocate resources more effectively. This represents a shift from relying solely on human expertise and intuition to a hybrid model that combines human wisdom with the machine’s superior analytical capability.
Global leadership and a message to the world
This bold step places the United Arab Emirates at the forefront of global artificial intelligence governance. It sends a strong message that the country is not afraid to embrace transformative technologies, but rather seeks to harness them responsibly to serve its citizens and achieve sustainable development. This unique experiment will undoubtedly be the focus of the world’s attention, as other countries watch with interest how artificial intelligence can play a constructive role in the future of governance and public administration.
