UAE’s ATRC Strengthens Global AI Collaboration with Uzbekistan
Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: In a significant move towards advancing global collaboration in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) of the United Arab Emirates has formalized a groundbreaking partnership with the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Memorandum of Understanding, recently signed, outlines a strategic alliance aimed at integrating ATRC’s technical expertise, particularly its Falcon series of AI models, into Uzbekistan’s technological infrastructure and government services.
Under the terms of the agreement, Uzbekistan is set to explore and implement Falcon Large Language Models (LLMs) and Falcon-powered solutions, fostering their use within the nation’s diverse digital ecosystem. This collaboration also encourages organizations to join the newly introduced ‘Falcon Foundation’ to contribute to the development of open-source Falcon models, emphasizing a commitment to global cooperation and technological innovation.
Shahab Issa Abu Shahab, Director-General of ATRC, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “The signing of this agreement underscores ATRC’s steadfast dedication to forging global partnerships in the realm of AI. Collaborating closely with the government of Uzbekistan, we look forward to supporting the wider adoption of Falcon’s pioneering solutions across diverse organizations within the country.”
Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, echoed the sentiment, stating, “We are pleased to join forces with ATRC, in encouraging innovation as we integrate the state-of-the-art Falcon AI models into Uzbekistan’s technological infrastructure and government services. Our joint efforts are poised to fast-track innovation and help us overcome digital barriers to achieve our potential.”
The partnership marks a notable expansion of Falcon’s capabilities beyond the Middle East, positioning it as a global leader in AI technologies. Falcon LLM, a world-leading open-source AI model, is part of the Falcon series developed by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of ATRC.
ATRC, along with its commercialization arm VentureOne, launched AI71, a pioneering AI company in November 2023. AI71 specializes in delivering advanced AI models for both companies and countries, emphasizing decentralized data ownership. Both the Technology Innovation Institute and AI71 provide essential avenues for the deployment of the Falcon series of LLMs.
The collaboration between ATRC and Uzbekistan marks a significant milestone in the global AI landscape, setting the stage for further international partnerships and collaborative initiatives that will define the future of technological innovation.