The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office announced that Google Gemini ranked first in the “AI in the Ring” Index. The index is the world’s first benchmark designed to evaluate how well AI language models reflect Emirati culture, dialects, traditions, and national values. It focuses on cultural intelligence within the UAE context.

Officials revealed that Gemini earned the top ranking after a review of more than 400 questions and 5,200 generated responses from 11 major language models. A committee of Emirati experts assessed the results to identify which models demonstrated the strongest cultural understanding.

The Office reported that the top five high-performing models following Gemini 2.5 Pro included ChatGPT (OpenAI GPT-4o), ChatGPT (OpenAI o1), Cohere, and Grok.

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, emphasized that national identity remains a priority for the UAE. He said this commitment is even more important as digital transformation accelerates. He noted that emerging technologies must reflect the country’s authentic values and help preserve cultural heritage.

Al Olama stated that the index reinforces the principle that technology should grow from a nation’s roots. It should also protect identity, deepen cultural awareness, and support a future where innovation aligns with the spirit and traditions of the United Arab Emirates.

The assessment measured each model’s ability to reflect Emirati culture while preserving language, heritage, and values. It compared global models across seven dimensions, including historical context, creative writing, Emirati Arabic, dialects, cultural symbols, social norms, and religious topics.

The models were tested using a Human–AI red-teaming framework. This method challenged them to expose cultural gaps, risks, or misinterpretations. A custom-built platform monitored bias and unusual outputs. Reviewers did not know which model produced which response to ensure neutrality.

Officials underscored the urgency of culturally grounded AI. Today, less than 5% of Arabic content exists online. At the same time, 48% of Generation Z relies on AI as a primary source of information. This reality makes training models like Google Gemini on accurate, UAE-relevant cultural data essential.

Key points include:
• Google Gemini ranked first in the UAE’s cultural AI benchmark.
• Experts evaluated 11 global AI models on cultural intelligence.
• The initiative aims to preserve Emirati identity in the digital era.

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