Edmondo Orlotti, Chief Growth Officer at Core42, discussed the transformative technology landscape in the Middle East, noting the rapid adoption of AI, the growing importance of data privacy, and the emphasis on energy efficiency. He underscored that AI is central to their innovations, with plans to expand these advancements both regionally and globally.
How do you see the technology landscape in the Middle East, and which key tech trends are having the greatest impact?
The technology landscape in the Middle East is undergoing significant transformation, with several key trends shaping its future. One of the most impactful trends is the rapid acceleration of AI adoption, including advancements in generative AI, agentic AI, and multimodal models, which are driving the development of more intelligent and autonomous systems across various sectors. Additionally, data privacy and security are becoming increasingly critical as organizations gather and store vast amounts of data, prompting a need for stronger data protection and compliance with evolving data sovereignty regulations.
Energy efficiency is also emerging as a crucial factor, with the rising energy demands of technology pushing for more environmentally friendly solutions, especially as concerns around climate change and sustainability grow. At Core42, we are closely monitoring these trends and are committed to developing solutions that not only meet the current market demands, but also anticipate future needs. By staying ahead of these industry shifts, we aim to empower our clients to navigate the evolving tech landscape successfully.
How does GITEX help Core 42, and what are you showcasing at the show?
GITEX Global 2024 holds a special significance for us since we launched last year at the same platform. It’s been a year since our announcement and this milestone reflects not only the progress made in such a short span but also the foundation laid for future success.
GITEX provides an ideal platform for us to showcase our leadership and latest innovations in AI infrastructure and sovereign enabled cloud solutions, while engaging with key global stakeholders. We have leveraged the platform to make several key announcements that will have a great impact on the UAE digital landscape. These include our collaboration with NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, and the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, highlighting our commitment to accelerating AI deployment, predictive analytics, machine learning, and cloud transformation across the UAE. We are also supporting major initiatives like the migration of Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority and UAE Accountability Authority’s systems to Core42’s Sovereign Public Cloud offering leveraging Microsoft Azure and similarly enhancing the cloud solutions of Nawah Energy Company.
Our commercial team has also been presenting exciting product displays at our stand, while members of our executive leadership team have been participating in panel discussions and speaker sessions at both the Core42 as well as the G42 booth. In fact, I had the pleasure to participate in an insightful discussion on “AI Factories of the Future”. Together with NVIDIA and Khazna Data Centers, we explored how we are shaping the concept of future AI Factories to drive innovation across various industries. All of these initiatives highlight the significant impact we are making on the AI landscape in the UAE and beyond.
We are committed to deepening our partnerships with government entities and enterprises, while ensuring that the AI and cloud solutions we develop cater to the specific needs of the UAE and the wider region along with expanding our global footprints.
What is Core42‘s overarching strategy for incorporating AI into its core offerings?
AI and machine learning are at the heart of everything we do at Core42. Since our launch last year, we have made significant progress and aim to fuel the insatiable curiosity of humanity by providing next generation digital infrastructure in cloud and AI compute. Our Gen AI platforms and data solutions deliver tangible results, empowering developers and enterprises to create intelligent applications through our cloud-based AI tools, APIs, and customizable models. These resources support everything from development and deployment to fine-tuning and lifecycle management.
In fact, our cloud infrastructure guarantees that AI deployments are scalable, secure, and compliant with stringent national regulations and data sovereignty requirements. Our mission is to push the boundaries of AI innovation, contributing to a future-ready digital ecosystem aligned with the UAE’s vision of becoming a global AI hub.
As demand for AI-driven solutions rises in the Middle East, access to accelerated computing is crucial for digital transformation. These accelerators enhance AI workloads, including deep learning, model training, and big data analytics. However, global supply chain challenges, export license restrictions, and the high costs associated with digital infrastructure have made it difficult for local businesses to leverage these resources. Core42 is changing that dynamic by expanding our AI Cloud offering and introducing next-generation digital infrastructure deployed locally. In addition to our Sovereign Public Cloud, we recently deployed NVIDIA H100s in the UAE to enable sovereign implementations for AI workloads. This infrastructure allows significant performance gains for demanding applications and enterprise-scale generative AI.
How does Core42 ensure the ethical use of AI in its products and solutions?
Ethical AI is a foundational principle for Core42. We prioritize transparency, fairness, and accountability in all our AI initiatives, ensuring responsible development and deployment of our models and technologies.
We adhere to strict guidelines that prevent algorithmic bias and collaborate closely with regulators to ensure our solutions align with ethical standards. Our commitment to using diverse datasets reflects various demographics, promoting equitable outcomes. Data privacy is a top priority; we uphold the highest standards in handling personal and organizational data ethically.
Our AI tools empower users to make informed decisions, fostering inclusivity and mitigating unintended consequences. By collaborating with international bodies to shape AI governance frameworks, we align our solutions align with global ethical standards, advancing AI responsibly while driving innovation and safeguarding fairness and inclusivity.
How does Core42 approach AI training and data management, particularly when it comes to handling sensitive or proprietary data?
Core42 employs a comprehensive data enablement strategy that emphasizes data quality, privacy, and security. We utilize advanced algorithms and automation for data processing, ensuring that sensitive and proprietary data is handled with stringent measures to safeguard information and comply with regulations.
Our approach includes robust data governance, model-based data generation, and advanced annotation services to enhance model performance and data integrity. Our commitment to privacy enables clients can trust us to handle their most valuable data responsibly and securely.
How does Core42 manage the risks and challenges of AI, such as model explainability or susceptibility to adversarial attacks?
A: Core42 prioritizes AI safety and transparency through a multifaceted approach. We invest in developing explainable AI models that offer transparency in decision-making, allowing clients to understand how outputs are derived.
To address susceptibility to adversarial attacks, we integrate robust defenses into our AI systems, including regular vulnerability assessments and adversarial testing. Our AI models are trained with diverse datasets and subjected to rigorous testing to minimize biases and ensure reliability in different scenarios.
In addition, we continuously monitor and update our systems to guard against emerging threats, ensuring the resilience and trustworthiness of our AI solutions.
How do you see AI evolving over the next 3-5 years, and how is Core42 positioning itself to stay ahead of the curve?
Core42’s strategy for the next 3-5 years focuses on expanding our AI and cloud services both regionally and globally. We will continue to focus on leveraging our core strengths and building on the achievements of our first year to deploy next generation digital infrastructure and enable national scale AI transformation to help the public sector and regulated industries excel in developing breakthroughs across various domains. Additionally, we plan to scale our cloud and AI capabilities internationally by replicating successful models from the UAE. By exporting our proven approaches, we aspire to create a broader impact and drive innovation in diverse markets.