How can environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility come together? As the world commemorates the 54th Earth Day this week, host Cody Combs leads a discussion centred on the evolving role of an environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework in driving corporate strategies. Amy Lehoczky, director of ESG at G42, Abu Dhabi's leading artificial intelligence and cloud computing company, joins Combs to talk about this in the context of G42's $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft. During the conversation, Ms Lehoczky shares her journey into the ESG domain, the multifaceted role of ..read more

The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi is no stranger to motorsport memories. At the heart of those memories are usually big names such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. But now, a new type of race, without humans behind the wheel, is about to take place. In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Cody Combs delves into the groundbreaking Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, set to take place at the Yas Marina Circuit on April 27. This unconventional race features autonomous vehicles, marking a significant moment in motorsport history and the advancement of autonomou ..read more

Start-up Striver, which has football as its focus, is hoping to leave its mark as the world’s first abuse-free social media platform.   In this episode of Business Extra, host Cody Combs sits down with Tim Chase, co-founder of Striver, and Gilberto Silva, a former footballer also and co-founder of the app.   They look at how social media has mirrored the enthusiasm of sport, while also, inadvertently sometimes enabling hostile environments for athletes and fans online.   Mr Silva said that he is optimistic that artificial intelligence can help make social media a more civil plac ..read more

It’s Ramadan, a time of reflection and renewal in all aspects of life. And though it might seem like quite the juxtaposition, the themes of reflection and renewal are not lost on technology – especially in an age of artificial intelligence. AI is testing our relationship with technology like never before. It’s offering endless possibilities; it’s also creating ample concern, often overshadowing the possibilities. In this episode, we’re taking a look at the many upsides offered by artificial intelligence, and how those upsides offer an opportunity for renewal and reflection on multiple levels ..read more

Ramadan is a time of reflection, solidarity and community. One of the core values of the month for Muslims is to gather with family members for big meals and to stay connected with them.   Yet, for millions of people living in conflict zones in the region, Ramadan is not the same as before and staying connected has become a lifeline.   A few months ago, the eSIM technology emerged as a game-changer in one of the biggest current conflicts in the Middle East; the Israel-Gaza war.   It offered seamless connectivity at times of prolonged communications blackouts that severed telepho ..read more

Never before have we had so much computing power so widely available. We have super computers, we have quantum computers and, yes, we have an unprecedented amount of data. It is all creating a perfect situation where we now have the ability to potentially make predictions, make progress and improve society like never before. In particular, data and computational sciences could be game changers for health care, energy, sustainability and financial inclusion. Adia Lab, Abu Dhabi’s independent institute dedicated to research in data and computer sciences, has focused on looking at ways data and c ..read more

Since 2022, the ripple of artificial intelligence has turned into a tidal wave around the world, having an effect on almost all industries and areas of expertise, including finance and investing. Bloomberg, a leading global platform for business and financial information, has its own AI large language model. In this Business Extra episode from the World Governments Summit in Dubai, host Cody Combs is joined by two top executives from Bloomberg LP, chief technology officer Shawn Edwards, and head of quant technology strategy Gary Kazantsev. They dig deep into the hopes, aspirations and possible ..read more

Large language models, more commonly known as LLM, are the backbone of what makes artificial intelligence so intelligent. M42, Abu Dhabi's technology-enabled healthcare company, has designed a clinical generative AI LLM to serve as an assistant to doctors, patients, nursing staff and other health professionals. Since October 2023, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health has been helping with the eventual implementation of a new clinical generative AI LLM, Med42, across the emirate’s healthcare system. Host Cody Combs sits down with Shadab Khan, head of AI and applied sciences at M42, to talk about th ..read more

What do you do with a critical mass of talent yearning to make an entrepreneurial mark in the Middle East? That is the task faced by the UAE’s northern emirate of Sharjah. In particular, that is the task of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre, or Sheraa, a government-backed organisation launched with a mandate to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the emirate. On this episode, host Cody Combs spoke with Sheraa’s chief executive Najla Al Midfa about the accomplishments, goals and evolving road map for Sharjah entrepreneurs ..read more

AI isn't going away, the metaverse is still showing signs of life, and cybersecurity concerns remain abundant. Just when you thought it was safe to enter 2024 on a clean technology slate, similar themes and a cast of technology characters are re-emerging from the previous year. Yet, not everything is the same. There are some early hints of what to expect, and some clues from tech products that offer a glimpse at how our lives and businesses will change in the weeks and months ahead. Will deepfake videos cause a cacophony of problems? Will Apple's vision of spatial computing have us all wearing ..read more