According to a recent study, around 33% of jobs within the Dubai government face significant risk of being affected by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). The research indicates that clerical support roles are particularly vulnerable, with Gen AI potentially automating 24% of their job responsibilities.
Conducted by the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) in partnership with the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, the study surveyed 2,480 employees from 34 different government agencies to gauge the influence of generative AI on job functions. Additionally, interviews were held with Chief AI Officers (CIAOs) from five prominent governmental bodies to gather insights and recommendations.
“Surprisingly, a significant number of employees who participated in the survey were already utilizing generative AI in some capacity, with 64% identifying as users,” noted Keertana Subramani, a researcher at MBRSG. She pointed out that the majority of respondents held regular or intermediate skill levels, while only about 16% classified themselves as advanced or expert users.
### Content Creation
The analysis revealed that the technology was predominantly used for content creation, as well as for strategy formulation and data analysis. Over 80% of users reported that generative AI helped save time, and 46% noted enhancements in their work quality and productivity. However, challenges did arise, with inaccuracies cited by 40% of participants and concerns regarding data privacy.
“There are significant worries related to data privacy, especially concerning organizational data usage and potential biases,” Subramani explained. “Moreover, there is a pressing need for better representation of local culture, language, and other relevant data that is often overlooked by most international generative AI tools.”
The research emphasized that training and upskilling employees are crucial at this juncture, along with fostering awareness and readiness to embrace new technologies across various departments.
### Use of AI in SMEs
In a separate analysis by MBRSG, it was revealed that 99% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region are either implementing or exploring the use of generative AI, particularly in marketing, customer service, design, and analytics.
The findings indicated that regional infrastructure demands are shifting, with major hurdles such as affordable computing resources and data storage capacity. While awareness of AI and data regulation is quite high among SMEs, there remains a notable scarcity of talent across the region. Furthermore, the rate of foreign intellectual property registration among AI-focused SMEs is low, sitting at just 9%.
With the UAE positioned fifth globally in Stanford’s AI Vibrancy Index and 13th in the Oxford Government AI Readiness Index, the successful integration of AI within SMEs is essential for driving national economic growth, especially considering that these enterprises account for 94% of the businesses in the UAE.