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HOW FAR AWAY ARE WE FROM A FUTURE WITH DRIVERLESS CARS AND COMPLETE ROAD AUTONOMY?

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Driving, pfft, a thing of the past.

Remember ‘Back to the Future 2’, when Marty and Doc tore through the space-time continuum to head into the future and it’s filled with cool gadgets and flying cars? Well, we’re not saying that this is near but we’re saying you may not have to drive your own cars anymore, and no, we’re not talking about chauffeurs.

There have been a few examples of autonomous cars, namely Tesla’s, and unlike most technology, the hype hasn’t really died down. Nadia Qazi, a car enthusiast has been praying to ‘drive’ one ever since she heard about the technology.

Autonomous cars revolve around Artificial Intellgence or AI tech for short. The technology maps out the route the ‘driver’ wants to travel in and, well, the best way to put phrase this is, drive itself.

“If we can send rockets to space, why is it taking so long to make an autonomous car?” adds Nadia.

The 20-year old’s frustration is understandable and not unfounded.

Data and AI

“We’ve been saying that the technology will take about 10 years to develop for about a decade. We’ve made progress but there’s still alot to be done in this space,” said Seham Al Behissy, Former Digital and Connected Cars general manager/ Renault international group of Artificial Intelligence.

Al Behissy also highlights a critical point, which leads to the question – what happens to all the data?

“I would say that now the question revolves around safety, not only on the roads but also data quality assurance. We have to be able to interpret real time and accurate data as the car moves across specific areas, and ensure this data is stored. We need to have serious conversations with different key players and manufacturers,” she adds.

Education

Don’t worry we’re not talking about sending you back to school. But according to Al Behissy, drivers need to be educated on the potential hazards they face while operating an automatic car and learn how to navigate through these hurdles.

“It’s not only about a smar car but you have to integrate the mechanical, eletrical and education with it,” said Dr. Jassim Haji, President of International Group of Artificial Intelligence in Bahrain.

We need to enable users to operate these vehicles and need to educate them while changing their mindset from being a driver to a supervisor. They should also possess a set of skills to know how to use the vehicle in certain spaces and emergencies.

How can businesses benefit from this?

If autonomous cars and vehicles can be scaled and mass-produced, businesses might jump on the driverless bandwagon soon.

“We’re talking about everything from autonomous vehicles and drones all the way to applying data science to enhance the customer experience,” said Mohammed Sleeq, Chief Digital Officer at Aramex. Trust Aramex when it comes to logistics; the company has been a solutions leader and innovator in Dubai and operates in over 65 countries with over 16,500 employees.

Alexander Pope said, “To err is human”. But wouldn’t it sting significantly more  if that error cost you thousands in your business? Imagine you kickstarted a company from the root-level and now you need a way to get your products across to the customer. With proper AI backing you could eliminate human error altogether and save cost, which is a pillar of any smart business.

Hmm, Skynet from Terminator is starting to make alot more sense.

So, what now?

“The AI community needs to network more together to make autonomous cities and movement a reality,” said Dr. Haji.

“To build an autonomous car, you need to build it in different stages and challenge it with obstacles and safety courses around it. Furthermore, we cannot make an AI car without having AI security measures,” he adds.

He has a point. Just visualise how you would react if YOUR CAR WAS BEING HACKED!

There seems to be a considerable ways to go but noteworthy process has been made in this space. Question is can we replace our love for driving with being driven around? I’ve been debilitating an answer to this question for hours and it’s driving me crazy. Let us know in the comments what your prefer – driving yourself or your car driving you?

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Business

How Millennials and Gen Z are powering UAE’s mobile shopping boom

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Millennials and Gen Z are leading a retail revolution in the UAE, turning their smartphones into their go-to shopping destination. According to the newly released 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index – UAE edition, the country’s youngest consumers are driving the UAE to the top of the global mobile shopping leaderboard.

The report, commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions and conducted by PYMNTS Intelligence, surveyed 1,679 consumers and 329 merchants across the UAE. The findings reveal a dramatic rise in mobile-first shopping habits, with Millennials and Gen Z leading the charge.

Mobile is the New Mall

A whopping 67% of UAE consumers used their phones as part of their most recent retail purchase, a 23% increase since 2022. But it’s the younger generations setting the pace:

  • 73% of Millennials shopped using their phones during their last purchase
  • Gen Z isn’t far behind, proving that mobile shopping is second nature to digital natives

These generations are not just buying, they’re reshaping the entire shopping experience, demanding speed, security, and flexibility at every step.

Tech-Savvy, Security-First Shoppers

Younger UAE shoppers are also embracing biometric authentication, like fingerprint or facial recognition, more than ever. 32% of UAE consumers used biometrics in their latest online retail transaction, nearly double the global average of 17%.

What Young Shoppers Value

Millennials and Gen Z in the UAE expect more than just fast checkouts. Their top demands include:

  • Rewards programmes (75%)
  • Free shipping (73%)
  • Price matching (70%)
  • Cross-channel flexibility (53%)—blending in-store, mobile, and desktop shopping

They’re also more likely to shop online for home delivery, with 38% of UAE consumers choosing this convenience in their most recent purchase.

Setting a Global Standard

The UAE now has the highest rate of mobile-based online shopping globally (37%), outpacing Singapore, the UK, and Brazil. Industry experts attribute this to a strong digital ecosystem backed by collaborative efforts between the UAE government, retailers, and fintech partners.

“Millennials and Gen Z are shaping this future—and we’re proud to support it through innovations like Click to Pay,” said Salima Gutieva, Visa’s Vice President and Country Manager for the UAE.

Future of Retail: In Their Hands

The takeaway? Mobile-first isn’t coming, it’s already here, thanks to the tech-savvy preferences of the UAE’s younger generations. Whether it’s a tap, swipe, or biometric scan, Millennials and Gen Z are making mobile shopping the new normal in the Emirates.

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News

ChatGPT down globally: Users in UAE affected by widespread outage

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The popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, is currently experiencing widespread issues, leaving millions of users unable to access the service across the globe, including the UAE.

As of Tuesday afternoon, attempts to use the platform were met with frustrating error messages such as “Error in message stream” or “too many concurrent requests.”

The global outage has caused significant frustration among students, professionals, and businesses who rely on the popular service for their daily needs.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has acknowledged the problem. On its official status page, OpenAI stated that the platform is “currently experiencing issues” and that “some users are experiencing elevated error rates and latency across the listed services.” The company confirmed they are actively investigating the disruption.

The outage isn’t limited to just the main ChatGPT chatbot. OpenAI’s video generation model, Sora, and its various APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are also affected. Reports indicate the problem is widespread, impacting users on different devices and operating systems.

This disruption comes as OpenAI has reported significant growth in its user base. The company announced earlier that its weekly active users jumped by 33 per cent to 400 million in February, up from December last year. Additionally, its enterprise customer base for ChatGPT has recently doubled, reaching 3 million paying business users, as more companies integrate AI tools for productivity.

Users are advised to check OpenAI’s official status page for the latest updates on when services are expected to be fully restored.

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Crime

UAE: Up to Dh2 million for social media violations under new media rules

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Individuals promoting content or advertising on social media in the UAE will soon need to follow stricter rules under a new comprehensive regulatory system introduced by the UAE Media Council.

The new framework, announced this week, is designed to build public trust, protect viewers, especially children and adolescents, and raise the quality of online media content. It also outlines heavy penalties for violations, with fines reaching up to Dh1 million for first-time offences and up to Dh2 million for repeat breaches. In serious cases, violators could face temporary or permanent shutdowns, along with permit revocations.

“The new system transforms the way the media sector is regulated and developed,” said Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, Secretary-General of the UAE Media Council. 

“It combines updated legislation, comprehensive services, and forward-looking policies to support sustainable growth.”

Fee exemptions and local support

To encourage creativity and responsible content creation, the council announced a three-year exemption from permit fees for individuals and influencers who promote content online. This is part of a broader move to support Emirati talent and creative industries, with similar exemptions offered to local media services, producers, and writers whose work promotes national identity.

The initiative builds on last year’s Media Regulation Law and its Executive Regulation, and aims to stimulate growth in the sector while maintaining strong ethical and professional standards.

New age-rating and licensing systems

A key feature of the new regulations includes a media age-rating system, ensuring that content shared online is appropriate for different age groups, especially young viewers.

The council is also developing a new licensing policy for digital news platforms, with a focus on enhancing credibility and journalistic standards. The goal is to create a balanced legal environment that supports responsible reporting while safeguarding freedom of expression.

The updated system also outlines resolutions related to media service fees, violations, and administrative penalties, offering clearer guidelines for all stakeholders in the media landscape.

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