The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has revealed plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into not only the drafting of new legislation but also the review and amendment of existing laws. This groundbreaking initiative, referred to as “AI-driven regulation,” aims to drastically enhance the speed and precision of legal processes, reshaping the way laws are created and updated.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and UAE vice president, announced that the AI system would accelerate the lawmaking process by 70%, leveraging vast databases of court rulings, existing legislation, and government services to suggest timely updates. To oversee this ambitious project, the UAE has established a new body, the Regulatory Intelligence Office, which will manage the integration and execution of AI in lawmaking.
Experts have called the UAE’s approach groundbreaking, with Rony Medaglia from Copenhagen Business School noting that the UAE appears to be turning AI into a “co-legislator.” However, concerns have been raised about the potential risks of AI misinterpreting context or hallucinating, as pointed out by Vincent Straub of Oxford University.
Keegan McBride from the Oxford Internet Institute highlighted that the UAE’s autocratic system allows for quicker and more experimental advancements in AI, which would be difficult in democratic nations. This rapid pace of innovation is further backed by significant investments, such as the launch of MGX, a national AI fund, which last year invested in a $30 billion infrastructure initiative by BlackRock. The UAE’s commitment to AI-driven governance signals the country’s serious focus on AI as a key component of its future.
