Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Dubai Future Foundation, has approved the launch of a groundbreaking global initiative. This classification system clearly distinguishes the role of humans and machines in creating creative, scientific, academic, and intellectual content.
A Transparent Approach to the Future of Content Creation
In a statement, Sheikh Hamdan said: “Distinguishing between human creativity and artificial intelligence has become a real challenge in light of today’s rapid technological advances. This calls for a new approach to recognise the growing role of intelligent machines. That’s why we launched the world’s first Human–Machine Collaboration Icons, a classification system that brings transparency to how research documents, publications, and content are created.”
He urged researchers, publishers, writers, designers, and content creators worldwide to adopt this system responsibly and in a manner that benefits society.
As part of the initiative, all Dubai Government entities have been instructed to implement the classification system in their research and knowledge-driven activities.
About the Human–Machine Collaboration (HMC) Classification
Developed by the Dubai Future Foundation, the HMC classification system introduces a new standard for content transparency. It allows users to visually identify the extent of human vs. machine contribution in the creation of any piece of work, from research reports and academic papers to design and digital media.
The classification applies across multiple sectors, including research, publishing, content creation, and design, all of which are increasingly influenced by automation and AI.
The Five Main HMC Icons
The system features five core icons to represent levels of human–machine collaboration:
- All Human – Fully created by a human, no machine involvement
- Human-led – Created by a human with machine assistance for accuracy or improvement
- Machine Assisted – Collaborative creation between human and machine
- Machine-led – Machine-driven content with human verification
- All Machine – Fully generated by machines, without human input
In addition, nine functional icons highlight specific stages where collaboration took place, including ideation, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, visuals, and translation.
While the icons don’t quantify the exact level of machine contribution, they offer a transparent, standardised way to disclose collaboration, empowering creators and consumers alike.
A Global Call to Action
The HMC classification is designed to be adaptable across industries and compatible with all types of media, including text, image, and video content.
To learn more about how to use the HMC icons and download the full system, visit: www.dubaifuture.ae/hmc
