分类： technology

In a groundbreaking initiative to propel artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai Holding and Palantir Technologies have jointly launched Aither, a transformative venture designed to revolutionize both public and private sectors through advanced AI solutions. The announcement was made during a high-profile signing ceremony in Dubai, attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Holding, and Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs. The agreement was formalized by Amit Kaushal, Group CEO of Dubai Holding, and Noam Perski, Executive Vice President at Palantir.

Aither represents Palantir’s first joint venture in the UAE and solidifies an 18-month collaboration between the two entities. Since early 2024, Dubai Holding has been integrating Palantir’s AI and data platforms across its diverse portfolio, which includes real estate, hospitality, finance, and infrastructure. This partnership has already yielded significant improvements in operational efficiency, decision-making speed, and data visibility.

Amit Kaushal emphasized that Aither is more than a technological initiative; it is a national platform aimed at institutionalizing AI excellence. “We are extending proven capabilities to the wider market, supporting Dubai’s digital ambitions and the UAE’s goal to accelerate economic diversification,” he stated. The venture aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to generate Dh100 billion annually through digital transformation. Aither will act as a catalyst for this vision by providing scalable AI solutions to strategic sectors, enabling organizations to unlock new value streams and enhance competitiveness.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp expressed pride in the partnership, highlighting the potential to empower UAE institutions with Palantir’s world-leading AI capabilities. Beyond technology deployment, Aither will focus on localizing the economic value of Palantir’s platforms. This includes knowledge transfer, talent development, and the establishment of governance frameworks to ensure responsible AI implementation across industries.

Dubai Holding’s extensive portfolio, which includes real estate, hospitality, entertainment, media, and investments, provides a strong foundation for Aither’s operations. Brands such as Nakheel, Meraas, and Jumeirah have already benefited from AI-driven enhancements, setting a precedent for broader adoption. The joint venture underscores Dubai’s leadership in deploying secure, sovereign, and high-impact AI applications. By combining Palantir’s cutting-edge software with Dubai Holding’s market insight, Aither is poised to become a cornerstone of the UAE’s digital transformation strategy.

Xpeng AeroHT, a subsidiary of the Chinese electric vehicle giant Xpeng, has initiated trial operations at its groundbreaking flying car manufacturing facility in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The factory, located in Huangpu district—a burgeoning hub for science and technology—marks a significant milestone in the development of the low-altitude economy. The first product to emerge from the production line is the innovative Land Aircraft Carrier, a hybrid vehicle designed for both road and air travel. The facility boasts an initial annual production capacity of 5,000 units, with plans to double this output in the future. At full capacity, the factory will produce one aircraft every 30 minutes. The Huangpu district government has lauded the facility as the world’s first mass production line for flying cars. The initial batch of vehicles will undergo rigorous test flights to validate performance and craftsmanship, paving the way for commercial deliveries next year. The factory’s assembly line, which includes advanced processes such as composite material integration, power systems, connection, painting, and final assembly, sets a new benchmark for the industry. The Land Aircraft Carrier features a three-axle, six-wheel design with 6×6 all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering, ensuring superior off-road capabilities. Its compact design allows it to fit into standard parking spaces and underground garages, enhancing its practicality. The factory is expected to bolster the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s industrial cluster and strengthen China’s position in the global low-altitude economy. This development underscores China’s commitment to innovation and its ambition to lead in emerging technologies.

China’s rapid advancements in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, electric vehicles, and green energy have caught many Western observers by surprise. Long perceived as a nation of imitators, China is now increasingly recognized as a formidable innovator. However, this narrative overlooks a rich history of Chinese ingenuity that dates back millennia. From the Zhou and Qin dynasties to the flourishing eras of the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming, China consistently stood at the forefront of global innovation. The current technological resurgence is not a sudden awakening but a revival of a tradition interrupted by colonialism and internal strife. Historically, Chinese innovations—ranging from paper, printing, the compass, and gunpowder to advanced hydraulic engineering and metallurgical techniques—have profoundly shaped global civilization. British historian Joseph Needham documented China’s leadership in applied technologies for centuries, even without an Industrial Revolution in the Western sense. Today, China’s innovation ecosystem is thriving, evidenced by its entry into the Global Innovation Index’s Top 10 in 2025 and its dominance in global patent filings, particularly in generative AI. This resurgence challenges the Western-centric narrative of innovation and underscores China’s role as a civilizational innovator returning to its historical prominence.

In a groundbreaking medical feat, a Chinese surgical team has successfully performed a remote robotic eye surgery spanning over 4,000 kilometers, leveraging advanced 5G technology. The procedure, a retinal injection, was conducted on Sunday by surgeons in Guangzhou, who remotely controlled a robotic arm at a hospital in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This marks a significant advancement in using technology to address the disparity in medical resources between China’s developed coastal cities and its remote regions. The surgery, executed with micron-level precision, involved guiding a microscopic needle to the retina, piercing it to a predetermined depth, and administering medication. The entire process was completed in under seven minutes, with the 5G network ensuring seamless communication and the robotic arm operating without tremor. Retinal sub-injection is a highly delicate technique used to treat vision-threatening conditions like submacular hemorrhage. Dr. Lin Haotian, the project lead from Sun Yat-sen University’s Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, hailed the surgery as a pivotal step in transitioning remote high-precision ophthalmic surgery from feasibility to practicality in China. This achievement underscores the potential of 5G and robotics in revolutionizing healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved areas.

Microsoft has announced a groundbreaking development in its collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), securing approval to export tens of thousands of advanced Nvidia AI chips to the Gulf state. This move paves the way for a significant $7.9 billion investment in data centers, cloud computing, and AI projects over the next four years. The export licenses, approved during both the Trump and Biden administrations, allow Microsoft to ship the equivalent of 60,400 Nvidia A100 chips, each costing upwards of $9,000, to the UAE. These chips, designed for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data center analytics, are manufactured primarily in Taiwan by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Microsoft’s investment strategy in the UAE includes a $1.5 billion equity stake in G42, an AI company managed by the UAE’s national security advisor, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Between 2023 and 2025, Microsoft plans to spend over $7.3 billion in the UAE, with an additional $7.9 billion allocated from 2026 to 2029. This includes $5.5 billion for expanding AI and cloud infrastructure and $2.4 billion for local operating expenses.

The agreement aligns with a US model where American tech companies build and manage data centers in Gulf states, ensuring controlled access to advanced technology. While the original US-UAE agreement envisioned exporting 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips annually starting in 2025, including 100,000 directly to G42, no such direct imports have been announced yet.

Microsoft’s ability to secure these export licenses underscores its commitment to meeting stringent cybersecurity and national security requirements. The company has already accumulated the equivalent of 21,500 Nvidia A100 GPUs in the UAE during the Biden administration. This development highlights the UAE’s growing role as a hub for AI innovation, competing with Saudi Arabia for access to cutting-edge AI chips and leveraging its abundant, low-cost energy to attract global tech investments.

The United States and China are engaged in a high-stakes competition to return humans to the Moon, marking the first such endeavor in over 50 years. However, a new twist has emerged within the US space industry: a rivalry between American companies vying to develop the lunar lander that could secure victory for the nation in this renewed space race. At the center of this contest are two billionaire titans, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, whose companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, are now locked in a battle for NASA’s Artemis III mission contract. SpaceX, initially awarded the $4.4 billion contract in April 2021, has faced delays and technical challenges with its Starship vehicle, prompting NASA’s acting chief, Sean Duffy, to open the contract to competitors. Despite SpaceX’s progress, including 11 test flights since April 2023, concerns over launch safety and orbital refueling technologies have raised doubts about its ability to meet the 2027 mission deadline. Meanwhile, China’s ambitious plan to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030 has heightened pressure on the US to accelerate its efforts. Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin have emerged as potential contenders, with Blue Origin exploring modifications to its Mark 1 lander and Lockheed Martin assembling a consortium to develop a lander based on Apollo-era designs. The competition has also sparked a public feud between Musk and Duffy, further complicating NASA’s leadership and strategic direction. As the race to the Moon heats up, the outcome of this contest will not only shape the future of space exploration but also determine which nation—and which company—will lead humanity’s next giant leap.