During a panel discussion at the GITEX Global 2025 event in Dubai, Ping Xiao, CEO of Group G42, highlighted the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on everyday life, using the new residence of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Governor of Abu Dhabi and National Security Advisor, as a case in point. He revealed that the design of Sheikh Tahnoun’s new home in Abu Dhabi was developed in collaboration with the AI model ChatGPT.
Xiao explained during the discussion alongside Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, that the residence, described as a “beautiful beachfront complex in Japanese style,” was completed in less than a year. He noted that Sheikh Tahnoun personally interacted with ChatGPT through 500 prompts to refine the design and achieve the final project’s vision.
Additionally, Xiao mentioned that the office of the Chairman of G42 currently employs ten AI agents for every human staff member, indicating the deep integration of AI technology into daily work processes.
He concluded his remarks by stating, “If your home is designed by ChatGPT, and you have more AI agents than humans, it signifies that AI is indeed a part of our present and has become an integral part of our lives.”
Sam Altman
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, virtually joined Ping Xiao for a conversation on the theme “From Early Adoption to AI-Enabled Societies: Envisioning the Next Era of Intelligence.” Their dialogue, part of the GITEX and G42 initiatives for AI-driven societies, explored how nations can creatively design a fair, sustainable, and data-driven future based on AI, with the UAE setting a global benchmark in such efforts.
Altman praised the UAE’s vision, remarking, “Every nation will need an AI strategy – this must be a top priority for national leadership. The UAE’s leadership in this area has been remarkable, and I hope it serves as a model for the rest of the world on what a forward-thinking nation embracing AI looks like. We are proud to be a partner in this endeavor.”
Global Alignment Initiative
Altman’s statements followed the announcement of OpenAI’s new initiative aimed at assisting governments in building sovereign AI infrastructure, named OpenAI for Countries. With the UAE as the primary partner, Ping provided details about collaborative efforts to harness the project’s full potential.
In elaborating on the inspiration behind the OpenAI for Countries initiative and its implications for the UAE, Ping remarked, “You are leveraging the tremendous cognitive power of a leading model, comparable to the intellect of Einstein – in fact, a consortium of Einsteins – and begin adapting it to serve various layers of an entire society. We are mapping out how this leading model can fulfill the diverse roles required to serve the community – from basic healthcare needs to cybersecurity. This initiative transcends merely acquiring software for specific needs; it embodies a super-utility that can only realize its potential when conceptualized on a grand scale, impacting society as a whole. Our engineers at G42 and OpenAI are now working globally to implement this super-utility, which we refer to as the Intelligence Grid, at the community level here in the UAE.”
Emphasizing the need for open and equitable AI deployment, Altman stated, “To avoid an intelligence gap, we must ensure AI is open and train people to use it — making it accessible everywhere and embraced by every country. The UAE has been a fantastic partner in showcasing what is possible here for the world. This is the type of partnership that brings the entire global economy together, involving numerous companies at various levels of infrastructure, along with many nations.”
Four Key Factors
Ping discussed the four critical factors necessary for the success of AI-powered societies, stating: “There are four main factors for countries to be AI-driven. Firstly, strong political leadership is essential. For a government desiring to be AI-focused, AI cannot be among the top ten or twenty priorities; it must be among the top three — possibly even the first — on the governmental agenda. Secondly, educating the population and the entire community is vital. Thirdly, developing the necessary infrastructure is imperative. Lastly, global partnerships are crucial. No country, company, or individual can achieve this alone. That’s why we’re here sharing the stage with Sam — as one of our global partners.”