Why Cairo, why now

Egypt’s AI agenda is moving at a pace. Therefore, a dedicated platform that unites policy, enterprise, and research arrives at the right moment. The country is embedding AI across strategic sectors—from outsourcing and shared services to semiconductors, cybersecurity, cloud, manufacturing, digital health, fintech, energy, education, and digital public services. Consequently, Cairo offers both market scale and coordination with national priorities.

What AI Everything MEA brings together

The program convenes AI enterprises, startups, researchers, and decision-makers from 60+ countries. Attendees will explore frontier use cases, responsible deployment, and practical roadmaps for adoption. Additionally, the agenda pairs a high-level summit with a two-day immersive exhibition. That mix enables leaders to set direction and, at the same time, see technology in action. Notably, global tech companies—such as Atos, Cyshield, HPE, and IBM—are expected to participate.

The government and ecosystem lens

“Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the architecture of global competitiveness,” noted Dr. Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology. He emphasized Egypt’s intent to shape the shift, not merely react to it. Accordingly, Ai Everything MEA serves as a bridge between global expertise and national priorities, turning strategy into deployment. Likewise, Eng. Ahmed El Zaher, CEO of ITIDA, highlighted the summit’s role in attracting deep-tech investment, empowering startups, and nurturing co-creation. Together, these messages underscore a clear goal: build an inclusive, outcomes-driven AI economy.

Investment, talent, and scaling

Beyond policy, the event leans into capital and capability. Over 200 venture capitalists from the wider GITEX network—managing more than US$1 trillion in assets—are expected to explore deals across Egypt and the region. Meanwhile, one of the region’s largest youth-tech academies will launch at the event. As a result, fresh engineering talent can plug into pilot projects and real-world mentorship, channeling Egypt’s 750,000+ annual graduates toward AI careers. In turn, startups gain a pipeline of skilled contributors and early adopters.

Use cases that matter

Sectors on display track Egypt’s strengths and the region’s needs. For example, secure cloud and resilient digital public services support efficient governance. Similarly, AI in healthcare enables triage, imaging support, and hospital operations at scale. In fintech, intelligent risk and fraud tools help widen access while protecting consumers. Furthermore, smart industry and energy use cases drive productivity and efficiency. Because these applications align with national missions, pilots can advance faster and deliver a visible impact.

Dialogue on responsible AI

Momentum must pair with trust. Therefore, Ai Everything MEA dedicates stage time to governance, ethics, and safety. Panels will tackle privacy-by-design, bias mitigation, data stewardship, and accountability frameworks. Additionally, public–private working sessions will outline how to translate principles into tooling and procurement. With that approach, participants can accelerate adoption and maintain public confidence.

Voices from the organizer

“AI has leveled the digital playing field,” said Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of Dubai World Trade Centre, global organizer of GITEX. She underscored Egypt’s focus on using AI to uplift citizens and strengthen the economy. Accordingly, Ai Everything MEA aims to act as a force multiplier—amplifying local ambition with global resources and partnerships.

What attendees should expect next?

First, a curated summit program tailored to policymakers, CIOs, and founders. Second, a showcase floor that maps solutions to outcomes—cost savings, productivity, and service quality. Third, structured investor–startup matchmaking. Finally, capacity-building workshops that convert interest into skills. Altogether, the format turns conversations into tangible next steps.

Bottom line

The debut of AI Everything MEA marks a defining chapter for the Middle East and Africa. Cairo will host a global conversation—and, crucially, a practical marketplace—around responsible, scalable AI. With MCIT and ITIDA anchoring national priorities, and GITEX coordinating the international ecosystem, the region gains a platform built for delivery. As a result, governments, enterprises, and startups can move from pilots to production with speed, trust, and shared purpose.

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Dubai, UAE – Huawei, in partnership with Eros Group, has introduced the AI-powered conference whiteboard IdeaHub, redefining how workplaces collaborate in the digital age. The launch highlights Huawei’s growing role in the UAE’s digital transformation, offering businesses tools that are smarter, more interactive, and designed for productivity.

Smarter Meetings with Huawei IdeaHub

The new AI-powered conference whiteboard transforms traditional meetings into seamless digital experiences. With intelligent handwriting recognition, advanced video conferencing, and AI-enhanced voice clarity, the device creates smoother communication. In addition, wireless connectivity allows multiple users to share content instantly, encouraging collaboration across teams both in-person and remotely.

Designed for Modern Workplaces

The IdeaHub is designed for flexible office setups, from large conference rooms to hybrid work environments. Moreover, its interactive features—such as multi-user touch and split-screen collaboration—make brainstorming sessions more engaging and efficient. Businesses can rely on their AI-driven tools to improve decision-making while reducing wasted meeting time.

Partnership with Eros Group

Through its partnership with Huawei, Eros Group will distribute the IdeaHub across the UAE. This collaboration ensures that local businesses gain access to cutting-edge solutions backed by reliable service and support. Furthermore, the partnership reflects the UAE’s vision of equipping companies with digital tools that enable innovation and sustainable growth.

A Step Toward Greener, Smarter Workspaces

Beyond productivity, the Huawei AI-Powered Conference Whiteboard supports greener business practices. By digitizing brainstorming sessions, eliminating paper waste, and reducing reliance on printed material, it aligns with sustainability goals embraced by organizations in the UAE. Additionally, the device’s power-efficient design reduces energy consumption, which contributes to eco-conscious operations.

Meeting the Needs of a Hybrid Workforce

As hybrid work models become the norm, the demand for smarter and more flexible collaboration tools grows rapidly. The Huawei AI-Powered Conference Whiteboard directly addresses this trend by enabling seamless interaction between in-office staff and remote participants.

Notably, the platform ensures equal engagement for all attendees through interactive content sharing, synchronized annotations, and real-time feedback tools. Consequently, businesses can maintain continuity, build stronger connections, and empower teams regardless of location.

Reinforcing the UAE’s Digital Transformation Vision

The launch of the Huawei AI-Powered Conference Whiteboard with Eros Group underscores the UAE’s commitment to digital-first innovation. By introducing intelligent workplace solutions, the partnership contributes to the nation’s broader strategy of fostering smart cities, sustainable businesses, and globally competitive enterprises.

Huawei and Eros Group share the vision of positioning the UAE at the forefront of technological advancement in the Middle East. Together, they are delivering solutions that merge AI innovation with local market expertise.

Conclusion

The Huawei AI-Powered Conference Whiteboard, launched in collaboration with Eros Group, is more than a device—it is a symbol of how AI can enhance productivity, collaboration, and sustainability in the workplace. With advanced features designed for modern hybrid environments, it sets a new benchmark for intelligent collaboration tools in the UAE.

As organizations continue to evolve, the demand for smarter, faster, and greener solutions will only grow. Huawei and Eros Group are well-positioned to meet this demand, equipping businesses with the technology they need to thrive in an interconnected world.

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Taking place alongside LEAP, the inaugural DeepFest – in partnership with the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) – will run from February 7-9 and gather drivers of the global Artificial Intelligence eco-system to unveil life-changing, multi-sector initiatives in a thought-leadership conference and sector-specific tracks, trainings, live-demos, start-up pitches and an exhibition featuring companies transforming the world we live and work in. Support comes from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), which is powering LEAP in conjunction with Tahaluf – a strategic joint venture co-owned by Informa PLC and the SAFCSP.

Global business leaders, technocrats and experts will take to LEAP’s main stage to bring new perspectives to pressing world issues, including climate emergency and sustainable development, health crises, equality, inclusion, belonging and diversity. They will discuss the leadership strategies of tech giants and unicorns, explore web3’s business potential, and look to redefine governance paradigms for privacy, safety, and security.

The event will host over 700 billionaire investors, astronauts, technocrats, and sporting superstars turned tech investors across LEAP’s various stages housing 15 conferences.

With over 900 exhibitors confirmed for 2023, LEAP has drawn a powerful international line-up, some of which will take part in new mega tent displays and include world-leading names from throughout the USA, Middle East, Levant, North Africa, the Sub-continent, Europe, and Scandinavia. They include Saudi Arabian heavyweights STC, NEOM, Saudi Aramco, Mobily and ELM lining up alongside an international cadre of the biggest names in the tech business, including Snapchat, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Visa, Alibaba cloud, Ericsson, Huawei, Dell, Nokia, SAP, Microsoft, Cisco, and IBM.

Some of LEAP’s speakers this year include football legend and tech investor Thierry Henry; billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper; two-time World Boxing Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua; Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia; Borje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson; Steve Bartlett, the youngest Dragon’s Den investor, podcaster, and founder of Social Chain; Gitanjali Rao, the 17-year-old American inventor and TIME’s first-ever Kid of the Year; Susan Kilrain, NASA astronaut and the second woman and youngest person to pilot the Space Shuttle; and Sian Proctor, an explorer and mission pilot for the Inspiration4 all-civilian orbital mission to space. The scheduled investors control a combined and unprecedented US $1.6 trillion fund pool.

“Our rapidly changing world demands we keep pace with appropriate regulation and governance, and we need the best brains in the business to help us navigate a globally appropriate pathway,” said Faisal Al Khamisi, Chairman of the SAFCSP.

“These are the 21st century inventors who are presenting the world of living and work – but not as we currently know it,” said Michael Champion, Regional EVP, MEA at Informa Markets, which organises LEAP. “This is an unprecedented and universal exhibitor mix which will send technology advancement into a whole new world-living orbit. LEAP is the window to tomorrow’s world, an event which powers the future and empowers those looking to shape it.”

LEAP has garnered support from numerous leading government and private sector organisations. Strategic partners and sponsors for LEAP23 include NEOM, STC, Saudi Aramco, Mobily, IBM, Microsoft, Ericsson, Huawei, and Najm Insurance. The 2023 edition will also host country pavilions from the United Kingdom, Finland, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Oman, and India.

Walk us through the competencies of Analytics Plus launched by ManageEngine recently
We recently launched Analytics Plus in the cloud, complementing the on-premise version that has been available for several years now. Our solution addresses this by cutting down on the time taken to transform raw data into actionable insights. Analytics Plus connects to popular IT and business applications, generating detailed analysis with over 100+ reports in less than 5 minutes.

Besides auto-generating reports, Analytics Plus also interprets the reports and highlights key patterns or insights from them. This means all that is left for decision makers to do is take corrective action that combat highlighted inefficiencies or problems.

How does it help organizations in terms of improving their efficiency and profit?

Organizations put several processes and procedures in place to run day-to-day operations. However, these processes are hardly ever periodically checked for inefficiencies. By analyzing historical data, Analytics Plus can spot inefficiencies in operations and help organizations take corrective action.

Rakesh Jayaprakash, Product Manage – ManageEngine

During tough economic conditions, ensuring high levels of ROI on IT investments will be a key focus area for organizations. By automatically blending IT operations data with financial data, Analytics Plus can help CIOs and CTOs identify areas where resources are under-utilized, chart the viability of future investments, and ensure budgets are spent in the right areas which can create the most impact.

Describe the verticals of business, in which Analytics Plus can create a major impact.

The IT department now influences every aspect of a business, and yet ends up under-utilizing analytics. Analytics Plus is primarily focused on helping IT teams showcase their value to the business. With the help of out-of-the-box connectors, Analytics Plus plugs into IT tools, analyses the data, and offers quick insight. Data blending capabilities help organizations tie data points from various IT and non-IT tools for a unified analysis of data.

Briefly explain Ask Zia and its potential in generating user-specific insights

Ask Zia is an AI (artificial intelligence) and NLP (natural language processing) powered analytics assistant that can interpret questions in plain English and answer them in the form of reports. Users don’t have to know what fields to use to build reports, which is most often the biggest barrier non-technical users face. Users can ask questions such as “What is the expected growth in issues next month?” or “What time of the day do SLA violations usually occur?” and get instant answers.

Discuss ManageEngine’s Middle East strategies in the context of its participation at GITEX 2022

ManageEngine has been operating in the region for over 18 years now. We have been participating in GITEX since 2007. We have a good network of partners in the region to support the 1000s of customers we have in the region. Our objective behind participating in events such as

is to increase our opportunity to interact with our customers and prospects, understand the challenges they face in managing their IT and try to work with them to handle those challenges.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare was not adequate and much less compared with commercial verticals especially in modern societies, such as the United States, China, and Europe. Had there been the modern technologies used efficiently in hospitals, research labs, patient care units, and drug development centers earlier, we could have saved many lives that the COVID-19 pandemic claimed.

Concerns from similar and diverse angles had been raised by global expert communities and they were inviting the attention of various government authorities, state agencies, and private companies. Incorporating all of it, the International Group of Artificial Intelligence (IGOAI), a community of academics, students, CIOs, members of global AI associations, and professionals who engage with AI, successfully hosted a virtual summit on “The Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare” on 29th June 2022 with the theme of “AI simplifies the lives of patients, doctors, and hospital administrators by performing tasks that are typically done by humans, but in less time and at a fraction of the cost.”

Dr. Jassim Haji, Chairman, IGOAI

The following article refers to the key areas of AI that were analyzed during the summit and they would ideally catalyze further discussions on the subject.

Supports Medical Imaging Analysis

AI is used as a tool for case triage. It supports a clinician reviewing images and scans. This enables radiologists or cardiologists to identify essential insights for prioritizing critical cases, avoid potential errors in reading electronic health records (EHRs), and establish more precise diagnoses.

Builds Complex And Consolidated Platforms For Drug Discovery

AI algorithms can identify new drug applications, tracing their toxic potential as well as their mechanisms of action. This technology led to the foundation of a drug discovery platform that enables the company to repurpose existing drugs and bioactive compounds.

Forecast Kidney Disease

Acute kidney injury can be difficult to detect by clinicians but can cause patients to deteriorate very fast and become life-threatening. With an estimated 11% of deaths in hospitals following a failure to identify and treat patients, the early prediction and treatment of these cases can have a huge impact to reduce life-long treatment and the cost of kidney dialysis.

Provides Valuable Assistance to Emergency Medical Staff

During a sudden heart attack, the time between the 911 or 999 call to the ambulance arrival is crucial for recovery. For an increased chance of survival, emergency dispatchers must be able to recognize the symptoms of a cardiac arrest to take appropriate measures. AI can analyze both verbal and nonverbal clues to establish a diagnosis from a distance.

Supports Health Equity

The AI and ML industry has the responsibility to design healthcare systems and tools that ensure fairness and equality are met, both in data science and in clinical studies, to deliver the best possible health outcomes. With more use of ML algorithms in various areas of medicine, the risk of health inequities can occur.

Natural Language Processing

Making sense of human language has been a goal of AI researchers since the 1950s. This field, NLP, includes applications such as speech recognition, text analysis, translation, and other goals related to language.

There are two basic approaches to it: statistical and semantic NLP. Statistical NLP is based on machine learning and has contributed to a recent increase in the accuracy of recognition. It requires a large “corpus” or body of language from which to learn.

Rule-Based Expert Systems

Expert systems based on collections of “if-then” rules were the dominant technology for AI in the 1980s and were widely used commercially in that and later periods. In healthcare, they were widely employed for “clinical decision support” purposes over the last couple of decades and are still in wide use today. Many electronic health records (EHR) providers furnish a set of rules with their systems today.

Physical Robots

Physical robots are well known by this point, given that more than 200,000 industrial robots are installed each year around the world. They perform pre-defined tasks, such as lifting, repositioning, welding, or assembling objects in places like factories and warehouses and delivering supplies in hospitals. Recently, robots have become more collaborative with humans and are more easily trained by moving them through the desired task. They are also becoming more intelligent, as other AI capabilities are being embedded in their “brains.”

Robotic Process Automation

This technology performs structured digital tasks for administrative purposes, i.e., those involving information systems, as if they were a human user following a script or rules. Compared to other forms of AI they are inexpensive, easy to program, and transparent in their actions. Robotic process automation (RPA) doesn’t involve robots – only computer programs on servers. It relies on a combination of workflow, business rules, and “presentation layer” integration with information systems to act like a semi-intelligent user of the systems. In healthcare, they are used for repetitive tasks like prior authorization, updating patient records, or billing.

Patient Engagement And Adherence Applications

Patient engagement and adherence have long been seen as the ‘last mile”’ problem of healthcare – the final barrier between ineffective and good health outcomes. The more patients proactively participate in their well-being and care, the better the outcomes – utilization, financial outcomes, and member experience. These factors are increasingly being addressed by big data and AI.

Administrative Applications

There are also a great many administrative applications in healthcare. The use of AI is somewhat less potentially revolutionary in this domain as compared to patient care, but it can provide substantial efficiencies.

International Group of Artificial Intelligence (IGOAI) was established in 2021 to create global awareness about artificial intelligence (AI). It disseminates learning about AI through global summits and conferences by articulating potential algorithm-based biases, security gaps, and other key areas that need feedback and scrutiny.

The C-Suite and business leaders understand the value of technology and the benefits it can bring to their bottom line, but there is one key technological shift on the horizon that they can’t afford to ignore. Networking at the edge.

Over the next few years, organizations in every industry will experience change on an unprecedented scale as people, digital devices, smart technologies, and an ever-expanding network come together to transform commerce, work, education, healthcare, recreation, and more. A whole new range of possibilities emerges when we can engage with literally every device and build intelligence and connectivity into physical objects such as office furniture and clothing. The path to 2030 will spawn new customer-centric businesses, enable entirely new industries and reinvent existing ones, challenge us to adapt and evolve, and facilitate greater access, equity, and inclusion across every aspect of society – this is the potential of the Edge. We define the Edge as the new experiences being enabled by edge technologies for customers, employees, students, patients, and any users of network services.

Jacob Chacko, Regional Director – ME and SA, Aruba

Smart meets digital at the Edge – smart conference rooms, smart assembly lines, smart menu ordering, smart stadiums, and a range of technology-enabled smart experiences. The opportunity at the Edge is driven by many things, including smart applications powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, data analysis, next-generation Wi-Fi, 5G communications, and “edge-to-cloud computing.”

Transformational Aspects of Edge-Based Strategies

Edge-based strategies are driving five critical shifts shaping the future of business and work:

1. User Empowerment – The technologies are enabling a fundamental redesign of the user experience – be they customer, student, patient, or employee – giving users the tools to define what they want, how they want it, and even how they want to pay for it.
2. Transformational Leadership – The scalability and rapid capability enhancements of exponentially advancing technologies such as AI, ML, IoT, and cloud computing are enabling leaders to pursue and deliver experiments to drive 2x to 10x greater improvements across their businesses.
3. The Pursuit of Digital Innovation and Excellence – The increasingly central role of digital technologies demands that we raise digital literacy across the organization and prioritize the rapid evolution of our digital capability to accelerate the adoption of a digital mindset and speed up the creation of digitally based products and services based on insights generated from data collected.
4. Embracing and Embedding Smart – The Edge is helping organizations embrace the true power of smart devices to deliver mass customization and deep personalization of a range of user experiences. Rapid advancements in AI and ML are enabling the establishment of smart spaces and creating the opportunity for smart personalization, adaptation, and continuous learning in the applications offered to users.
5. Emergence of New Businesses and Industry Sectors at the Edge – The focus on solutions tailored to customer needs is driving opportunities from the creation of new businesses to the birth of new trillion-dollar industry sectors.

Call to Action

The opportunity at the Edge represents a new way of conceiving business – designing from the outside in and putting the organization’s focus on what happens at the edge to maximize value for customers and employees, while also driving operational efficiency. Although it may seem that the concept is in its infancy, the nature of competition and the exponential rate of advancement in the underlying technologies mean that the pace of adoption will accelerate. This will lead in turn to transformational shifts in the experiences created and the business and revenue models adopted across every sector. For the C-suite, the call to action is clear. The only question is: how quickly can you respond to start building the future?

Richard Karam, General Manager at CME Sweden said, “Continuing our international expansion is key to servicing the needs of our clients, and having a foothold in Stockholm puts us in a better position to support market participants in Europe. Sweden is a key international hub for digital transformation, and our office here will enable us to deliver our ever-expanding range of solutions to our growing key client segments in Scandinavia.”

CME is currently concentrating on customer experience, process automation, data management, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things. The new phase of its expansion in Europe will support organizations and businesses in the Nordic countries to achieve their digital transformation goals at a different stage of the digital value chain from strategy to technology and operations.

CME claims have delivered more than 250 innovative projects across the world. With the official office opening in Stockholm, CME now has offices in seven countries including China, India, UAE, and the USA.

Briefly explain the role of IGOAI and its missions

International Group of Artificial Intelligence (IGOAI) was established in 2021 to create global awareness about artificial intelligence (AI). The community involves academics, students, CIOs, members of global AI associations, and professionals who engage with AI from over 24 countries. IGOAI is one of the fast-growing non-commercial communities that currently has around 450 members and we are expecting over 1200 members joining in it by the end of 2022.

We disseminate learning about AI through global summits and conferences by articulating potential algorithm-based biases, security gaps, and other key areas that need feedback and scrutiny. We have conducted major conferences with key representations of ministers of justice (GCC), public prosecutors, parliamentarians, women, and people of several walks of life. Besides giving them fair chances to share their AI experience, we keep them educated about several aspects of the technology.

How well do you think AI will be used in various sectors in the post-pandemic era?

We had conducted a study in the pre-pandemic days and predicted a drastic growth in the use of AI, digital transformation, and other futuristic technologies by 2025. The pandemic had fast-tracked its implementation and growth.

The customer service segment of various verticals such as healthcare, banking, education, sports, etc. would likely witness major growth in the post-pandemic era. AI-powered chatbots and conversational automation technologies can play vital roles in customer service whereas robotic lecturers take over the education segment.

How do you react to the use of AI in healthcare industries during the pandemic?

Apparently, the use of AI in healthcare wasn’t adequate and much less compared with commercial verticals especially in modern societies, such as the United States, China, and Europe. Had there been the modern technologies used efficiently in hospitals, research labs, patient care units, and drug development centers earlier, we could have saved many lives that the COVID-19 pandemic claimed.

What impact AI could create in financial and e-payment segments?

AI can be used to improve the speed and efficiency of the payment process by reducing the extent to which humans need to be involved, especially the developments in speech recognition technology. Through which banks can increasingly process payments initiated via voice, where the initiator uses a smartphone or smart speaker in addition to chatbots.

What is the scope of AI in the aviation sector?

AI can be sued effectively in several areas of aviation, specifically in airlines, such as revenue management, crew management, fuel-efficiency optimization, inflight sales, airplane ?maintenance, and air safety.

Do you see the significance of AI in manufacturing and logistics verticals?

AI is most commonly applied in manufacturing to improve overall equipment efficiency (OEE) and first-pass yield in production. Over time, manufacturers can use AI to increase uptime, improve quality and constancy, which allows for better forecasting. In ?logistics, it can be used for collecting and analyzing information and inventory processes, enabling companies to increase efficiency and boost revenues in warehousing.

What hospitality industries could achieve by involving machine learning?

It can be used for in-person and customers within hospitality, such as chatbots, virtual ?assistance, and guest data analysis with predictions.

Like some others, do you anticipate job loss and employment crisis after a vast implementation of AI in several industries?

There will be certainly many jobs lost in the next five years, but equally, there will be the creation of new jobs and also different job functions to accommodate new generations and specifically those that are tired of AI.

COVER STORY

The significance of artificial intelligence (AI) is being accepted across industries. The cover story examines how does AI influence financial, logistics, hospitality, education, and other sectors.

On January 23, 2020, almost immediately after CNN reported the confirmation of the first Coronavirus case in Washington, United States, Diana J. Flaherty, a Huston-based entrepreneur, wanted to cancel her entire Singapore itinerary, scheduled for the first week of February. After several hours of tiring attempts, her flight, hotel bookings, and transfers got canceled. She had called and emailed travel agents, transfer service providers, and third parties to get the job completed.

None of the chatbots, IVR interactions, or online ticketing services, which she reached out responded appropriately – the time difference between countries added more stress to the job.

Now; two years later, intelligent IVR assistants, conversational automation systems, AI-powered chatbots, and data processing tools automated not just the travel booking process but nearly 70 percent of the customer-business engagements ranging from inquiry to service delivery, from issue registration to technical support, and from itinerary design to meeting schedules, and more.

Pandemic-Ready IT Systems and Hybrid Work

Even though most of these technologies have existed back then, their implementation has been fast-tracked due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cost, reduced workforce, travel restrictions, and several other constraints have forced enterprises to invest in technology that reduces human involvement. Besides building pandemic-ready IT systems, most enterprises have permanently shifted to hybrid work mode and most of them are functioning with less than 25 percent of their workforce from offices.

It is already proven that the abilities of AI are incredible and beyond imaginable limits especially when it collaborates with human intelligence and thought processes. While solution providers accelerate the potential of their tools with the help of AI, cybercriminals use AI systems to infiltrate into both public and private networks. Most of the cyberattacks recently reported are facilitated by AI-powered agents and applications.

Traditionally, AI remained as a classy technology stood only by commercial segments that demanded quick return on investments (ROI). But when the unrelenting rampage of COVID-19 variants impacted nearly all verticals, the idea of creating resilience with modern technologies had popped up. Since then, the healthcare, research, and drug sectors started to get benefits out of AI.

Dr. Jassim Haji, President at International Group of Artificial Intelligence articulated, “the use of AI in healthcare wasn’t adequate and much less compared with commercial verticals especially in modern societies, such as the United States, China, and Europe. Had there been the modern technologies used efficiently in hospitals, research labs, patient care units, and drug development centers earlier, we could have saved many lives that the COVID-19 pandemic claimed.” Read his exclusive interview.

Referring to the early trends, positive impacts such as enhanced customer engagement and revenue growth have been witnessed in some of the key sectors including finance, manufacturing, aviation, hospitality, and logistics.

Unlocked Revenue Growth in Finance

Finance Institutions believe in the potential of AI. Hence, they started using AI-driven solutions for reducing operating expenses and automating intensive processes. Eventually, it led to revenue growth. A survey by NVIDIA titled “State of AI in Financial Services,” also showed a substantial financial impact of AI for enterprises with 34% of those who replied agreeing that AI will increase their company’s annual revenue by at least 20%.

FinTech and investment firms use AI for the following benefits:

• Algorithmic trading
• Fraud detection
• Improved productivity
• End-to-end trading infrastructure
• Anti-money laundering (AML) and KYC
• Accurate insurance policies
• Automated call centers
• Risk assessment and management

Robots Replace Workforces in Logistic Sector

The logistic sector had a major setback due to the pandemic. The entire supply-chain process got tarnished due to worldwide lockdowns and the absence of workers – the crisis was visible even to transfer medical supplies between countries. Solutions providers considering the option of replacing workers with robots, introducing self-driving cars, automation in documentation, inventory, warehouse, and clearance processes.

In the logistic sector, AI-powered systems are calibrated for:

• Big data analysis
• Better demand prediction
• Planning and resources management
• Real-time route optimization
• Warehouse automation
• Product inspection

Dynamic Pricing Options in Hospitality Sector

Hospitality probably conducts an increased amount of customer engagements and it is higher than most other sectors. Thus, automation and AI implementation have been done focusing on offering customers a unique experience.

Eg.,

• Chatbots and virtual assistants: Commonly used to handle inquiry and complaints
• Apps and sophisticated UIs: Provide hassle-free booking and easy cancellation
• Revision of customer reviews: AI-powered applications can evaluate customer reviews that help organizations learn better customer handling
• Prediction and data analysis: Customers are offered dynamic pricing based on their engagements

The market intelligence firm IDC estimated the adoption of AI up to 70 percent by online travel agencies and 60 percent by hotels, worldwide before 2020. The prediction of SITA, an IT solutions provider to the air transport industry, was hinted about the investments in AI and machine learning (ML)-based programs by 52 percent of airlines and 45 percent of airports by 2021.

Robot Teachers and On-Demand Tutoring

AI-powered solutions influenced EdTech space for some time. Studies predict nearly all learning management tools will be enabled with AI capabilities in the coming years and that will be a complete transformation of the education sector worldwide. Plus, AI gives a completely different perspective of education not only to students and teachers but also to parents and institutions. When experts predict it as the future of education, the following are the merits of AI in education:

• Personalized learning programs
• On-demand tutoring using AI chatbots
• 24/7 learning from anywhere
• Better time management and task division for teachers

Conclusion

AI and ML are on the scope of defining the future for individuals, groups, organizations, industries, professional sectors, and governments. Robots outperform the existing workforce across the planet, in a decade or less, and there is almost nothing they can’t do in terms of labor. While there are positive and productive impacts, there could be, certainly, adverse impacts as well. Experts forecast massive job losses, unlawful cyber activities, cyberwarfare, etc. Therefore, active intervention of governments in both the implementation and the practice of technology is highly desired. Governments should deliberate schemes for employment protection and social cohesion (e.g., universal basic income (UBI). Simultaneously, states should encourage AI groups, societies, and think tanks to join forums and engage in regular conversations for value exchanges to have the future bright for everyone!

Each year starts with new hopes and proceeds with explorations of fresh opportunities; some are continued from the past year(s). For The Integrator, co-publications, and JNS Media International, it is a year of bigger adventures and smarter outcomes.

As everyone knows, we are hosting MENA’s largest partnership-based initiative, named “SME Champions,” for business enterprises, manufacturers, financial service providers, and logistic solution providers, besides repeating our successful award ceremonies. By incorporating Golf tournaments, networking programs, gala awards, lead-gen activities, and publications, the year-round partnership initiative would establish the biggest winning streak for its investors.

The Integrator’s January edition analyses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) and how they impact major industries, including financial, healthcare, logistics, hospitality, and education. With a detailed cover story, exclusive interviews, and columns, we comprehensively attended every aspect of AI and ML in the issue. Besides the holistic approach, the study of the nitty-gritty of AI would certainly help businesses adopt modern technology appropriately.

The Integrator’s February edition is reaching the next milestone in success as it is our 100^th edition, which gives insights into cybersecurity. Join us to celebrate the moment and take advantage of getting your services, solutions, or views featured in it!

Happy reading!

Murali Margassery
Assistant Editor