The United Arab Emirates has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform its government operations using autonomous artificial intelligence. Within two years, the country aims to have 50% of all government sectors, services, and processes run by "agentic AI" systems that can analyze, decide, and act independently.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the initiative on X, stating that the UAE would become the first government worldwide to rely on autonomous AI at such a scale. The vision positions AI as an "executive partner" to enhance service quality, accelerate decision-making, and boost efficiency. Every federal employee will receive training to work alongside AI systems.
The goal, according to Sheikh Mohammed, is to create a government that is "faster, more responsive, and more impactful."
However, the rapid push raises concerns. Autonomous AI systems are prone to errors, can amplify biases in their training data, and operate with limited oversight in a country lacking democratic checks and press freedom. Similar risks have emerged elsewhere, including the US, where Anthropic has warned about potential mass surveillance from government AI use.