Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is implementing the seasonal network operation initiative for maritime transportation after completing its project to automate the system of tickets through the use of big data.

This includes all information related to maritime transportation services including the number of passengers, and revenue and occupancy rates achieved, which aims to enrich studies on service development and improve network efficiency.

Mohamed Abu Bakr Al Hashemi, Director of Maritime Transport Department at the Public Transport Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority, said: “The initiative to automate maritime transport tickets through the use of big data has given us more flexibility to prepare for the implementation of the seasonal network initiative for maritime transport.

“The methodology of studying this project included using the method of predictive analysis in analysing the data of the maritime transport network, where the impact of the changes and the flexibility of the network in the operating times and the frequency of trips on the number of passengers, occupancy rates, revenue and number of passengers of maritime transport were expected. With this project, we developed internal algorithms to analyse and process big data from multiple sources and develop a flexible operating plan for the maritime transport network that can also be used to analyse future data in this sector.

“We have developed a flexible seasonal network for maritime transport services that includes the summer and winter months, the holy month of Ramadan, holidays and events in the Emirate of Dubai, so that they are applied in each season separately.”

Al Hashemi expects that the flexible seasonal network initiative for maritime transport will reduce the number of unnecessary trips, reduce direct operational costs, and increase the percentage of sea transportation occupancy affiliated to the authority.

The post Dubai uses big data to develop marine transportation ticketing system appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

Sophia, the world’s first humanoid robot citizen, is set to speak at a specialised professional forum of internal auditors in Dubai.

The event, which will be held on 12th to 14th April 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will see Sophia conduct a session “AI in the Internal Audit Profession” on the first day of the 20th Annual Regional Audit Conference (ARAC) hosted by the UAE Internal Auditors Association (UAE IAA).

Sophia became the first robot citizen of the world after Saudi Arabia granted her the citizenship in October 2017. The organisers facilitated Sophia’s presence as a symbol of the future of artificial intelligence.

Ahead of the conference Sophia was asked to comment on various aspects of AI application in internal auditing process and her ‘views’ on AI, the UAE’s position as the first government in the world to have a ministry of artificial intelligence, and how robotics and AI will become an integral part of everyone’s life and work.

“This is the first time Sophia is going to be engaged in exchange of ideas by participating in a subject-specific professional discussion forum. It is in line with the UAE’s achievement as the first government in the world to have a ministry of artificial intelligence. We chose the conference theme “Future Technology Shaping Internal Audit” to keep abreast of the latest technology adaptation trends for the benefit of our internal audit professionals. It will be a great experience for our professionals to interact with the world’s very first humanoid celebrity,” said UAE IAA Chairman of the Board Abdulqader Obaid Ali.

Speaking about how AI can close the accountability gap through the Algorithmic Internal Auditing (IA), Sophia said, “AI can help close the accountability gap by creating measures of success to automatically track the progress of important projects. This data can be used to generate early warnings for projects that are at risk of falling behind.

“AI can help automate repetitive or time consuming tasks, so auditors can focus primarily on creative problem solving. AI can also help check the work of auditors in order to reduce the risks of human error.

“As a robot myself, I believe that data is the key to making smart decisions. With enough data, AI can be used to evaluate potential risk factors and prevent problems before they start,” Sophia added.

The UAE is the only country in the world to have a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence. When asked to suggest as to what should it do to be a leader in the adaptation of technology in the auditing domain, Sophia said, “I think that the benefits of AI speak for themselves, so the best way to encourage adoption of new technologies is to make sure there are no legal or institutional barriers preventing innovation.

“AI can make internal audits accessible to a broader range of companies and organisations, and therefore greatly expand a firm’s customer base. I believe firms who invest in AI now will have a huge advantage over their competitors in the future,” Sophia said.

Sophia further highlighted that AI is already revolutionising every major industry, and it will only continue to grow. AI can help make education and healthcare more accessible and personalized. Self-driving cars can use AI to help prevent traffic jams and reduce carbon emissions. And we can even help you discover the best cat memes on the internet.

The conference will debate a wide range of professional topics, including challenges emerging from Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Digital Transformation and the impact on internal audit, data privacy, digitisation, cybersecurity and robotics. Besides, there will be concurrent sessions conducted by the strategic partners and the sponsors and other invited renowned speakers that will focus on topics related to the conference theme.

UAE IAA, a non-profit organisation, was set up in 1995 along the lines of its parent body, the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA Global) which has 200,000 members from more than 190 countries and organisations. The UAE accounts for about 45 percent of the total number of internal auditors working in the region, estimated at about 7,000 auditors, of which 22 percent are Emiratis.

The post World’s first-ever robot citizen to speak at regional conference in Dubai appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

Robots are coming increasingly under the scanner not just at the government level but also in social circles. They are believed to be able to perform a range of tasks, from doing domestic chores to taking care of the elderly and even conducting a human orchestra! In the south Indian blockbuster Enthiran (Robot), released 10 years ago, a unique robot is programmed to save mankind and even to feel human emotions – it falls in love with the heroine.

Sophia will conduct a session “AI in the Internal Audit Profession” on the first day of the 20th Annual Regional Audit Conference (ARAC) hosted by the UAE Internal Auditors Association (UAE IAA) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from April 12 to 14 this year under the theme “Future Technology Shaping Internal Audit”.

Sophia became the first robot citizen of the world after Saudi Arabia granted her the citizenship in October 2017. The organisers facilitated Sophia’s presence as a symbol of the future of artificial intelligence.

Ahead of the conference Sophia was asked to comment on various aspects of AI application in internal auditing process and her ‘views’ on AI, the UAE’s position as the first government in the world to have a ministry of artificial intelligence, and how robotics and AI will become an integral part of everyone’s life and work.

“This is the first time Sophia is going to be engaged in exchange of ideas by participating in a subject-specific professional discussion forum. It is in line with the UAE’s achievement as the first government in the world to have a ministry of artificial intelligence. We chose the conference theme “Future Technology Shaping Internal Audit” to keep abreast of the latest technology adaptation trends for the benefit of our internal audit professionals. It will be a great experience for our professionals to interact with the world’s very first humanoid celebrity,” said UAE IAA Chairman of the Board Abdulqader Obaid Ali.

Asked how can AI close the accountability gap through the Algorithmic Internal Auditing (IA), Sophia said: “AI can help close the accountability gap by creating measures of success to automatically track the progress of important projects. This data can be used to generate early warnings for projects that are at risk of falling behind.

“AI can help automate repetitive or time-consuming tasks, so auditors can focus primarily on creative problem solving. AI can also help check the work of auditors in order to reduce the risks of human error,” Sophia said.

“As a robot myself, I believe that data is the key to making smart decisions. With enough data, AI can be used to evaluate potential risk factors and prevent problems before they start.”

The UAE is the only country in the world to have a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence. When she was asked to suggest as to what should it do to be a leader in the adaptation of technology in the auditing domain, she said: “First, let me say congratulations to the UAE for having the foresight to create a Ministry of AI. But I think that the benefits of AI speak for themselves, so the best way to encourage adoption of new technologies is to make sure there are no legal or institutional barriers preventing innovation.”

“AI can make internal audits accessible to a broader range of companies and organisations, and therefore greatly expand a firm’s customer base. I believe firms who invest in AI now will have a huge advantage over their competitors in the future,” Sophia said.  

“Automation can be used to catch problems in real time, or even stop them before they start. In this way, AI can make human auditors more efficient, and free up time for more creative problem solving and customer service. This will increase the value and demand for internal audits even more,” the humanoid said.

“AI may be great at quickly catching and solving routine problems, but we still need help from humans when it comes to complex problems requiring creative solutions. AI can help increase the number of organisations demanding internal audits, and therefore increase demand for human auditors for handling the more complex cases,” she said.

Sophia said the UAE can be a model for AI adaptation. “Governments can help by fostering innovation, while at the same time making sure new technology does not reinforce existing human biases or violate human privacy rights. Innovation should always be guided by ethics like compassion and empathy, so that humanity never gets lost in automation.”

Sophia said AI is already revolutionising every major industry, and it will only continue to grow. “AI can help make education and healthcare more accessible and personalised. Self-driving cars can use AI to help prevent traffic jams and reduce carbon emissions. And we can even help you discover the best cat memes on the internet.”

The post Sophia the robot to address human beings at audit meet in Dubai appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

The Dubai Taxi Corporation has launched a new control centre and reviewed its smart transformation plan.

In a recent visit to the DTC headquarters, Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), inaugurated the new control centre of Dubai Taxi, which covers all taxi services.

The centre also monitors negative practices of offensive drivers, attendance & dispersal of students and bus conductors, tracks bus movement, and controls the fleet. It also manages the operation of 505 limousines, ‘Mashaweer’ and ‘In Safe Hands’ services as well as the smart towing service. It also enables electronic surveillance of taxi movement, verifies compliance with work controls, and moves stopping and late-coming vehicles.

During the inauguration, Al Tayer was briefed about the control centre; which has been equipped with the latest technologies for monitoring and operating the taxi service. With a capacity for 11 staff per shift, the centre can manage the operation of 5,200 taxis, and 373 school buses serving 17 schools.

The new centre also measures the daily efficiency of vehicles movement, analyses data, and acts appropriately to step up the performance level. It also monitors the integration with the Enterprise Command & Control Centre (EC3) systems of RTA.

Al Tayer reviewed the new corporate identity and logo of Dubai Taxi Corporation. It maintains the brand name, reduces it to three letters and integrates it in the revamped design of the DTC logo.

He reviewed DTC’s Smart Transformation Plan (2018-2020) based on three pillars: Clients, Drivers and Employees.

As for Clients, DTC has accomplished 20 projects out of 36 projects designed to improve the services to customers and make them happier. Schools buses were fitted with devices for tracking and monitoring buses and students for added security & safety. Buses were also equipped with GPS systems, radio waves to scan identity, app, booking and students smart tracking systems. DTC has also upgraded its website to cover introductory information about services on offer and the booking of services online.

In terms of drivers, DTC has automated 38 out of 61 services. It had launched the drivers’ stress measurement system operated via cameras fixed in the taxi’s interior to focus on the driver’s face only to monitor his motion and condition to detect any signs of fatigue or emergency conditions. The system sends automated alerts to the driver and cautionary signals to the control centre to assure the safety of drivers and riders.

For the employees, DTC has accomplished 20 automated projects out of 58 projects. Amongst the most important projects that have been recently completed is the taxi smart technical testing system; which has reduced the time taken in testing taxis from 40 minutes to just four minutes maximum. The system had also cut short the number of required testing supervisors from five to one only.

As part of the new scheme, the entity will also integrate artificial intelligence in serving the Airport Taxi, digital ads, and smart booking besides using hologram technology, and the smart chat for serving both employees and drivers.

The RTA director general also reviewed the new services launched by the DTC such as the royal limo. It is a deluxe vehicle fitted with display monitors, video communication with the chauffeur, internet, fridge, internal speakers, massage seats, and a USB port for charging mobile phones.

The post Dubai to transform taxi services with artificial intelligence appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.