It is prudent on the part of UAE to have tech fuelled ambitions by leading the world in AI, while seeking to pivot theire economy from fossil fuels.

As they nurture technological ambitions, Dubai, the desert down known for its shiny high-rises, fast life plans to become the first nation in the world to deploy AI to draft new laws and amend existing laws to accelerate its law-making process. The AI-driven regulation system will be overseen by the newly created Regulatory Intelligence Office. The system has been announced recently and will use a database of federal laws, court rulings, government services, and will provide legal updates.

The role of AI goes just beyond drafting. The system will track the real-world impact of the new laws on Emirates’ population and economy. It will enable the administration to adapt legislation in real time.

There are issues about the propensity of AI models to produce unreliable outputs, hallucinations, potential shortcomings with legal interpretations.

Despite the risks, UAE has made AI a national priority. It is committing heavy investment in the sector through its wealth vehicle MGX. The scale of UAE and its neighbour Saudi Arabia is the focus. The UAE’s centralised government structure facilities this kind of technological experimentation. This is difficult to achieve in other countries having decentralised political structure.