Business Extra

By: The National
  • Summary

  • As one of the world’s most influential business hubs, the Middle East requires expert attention. Business Extra provides those experts, as well as news and insights from The National’s esteemed team of business editors and reporters, who are on top of the markets, technology, the energy sector and more.
    The National
    Show more Show less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • The new Hindi large language model
    Sep 25 2024

    Just when you thought AI news and developments have reached peak saturation, it seems there’s always something new that captures our collective imagination.

    Every week brings a new large language model – the backbone of many AI implementations.

    This time, AI is getting a Hindi-language breakthrough. It’s part of NANDA, a project unveiled earlier this month at the UAE-India Business Forum in Mumbai.

    Named after one of India’s highest peaks, NANDA is a technological – and cultural – feat in itself that’s supposed to open the doors to AI for more than half a billion Hindi-language speakers.

    NANDA is a partnership between G42, the UAE-based tech holding group, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and the American AI company Cerebras.

    G42 describes the project as a cutting-edge Hindi Large Language Model – trained on one of the most advanced supercomputers in the world.

    That’s a departure from the usual news about AI LLMs, which for a long time, have been centred around the English language, leading some to worry about an uphill battle for other languages and cultures trying to get a foot into artificial intelligence.

    So, this is a monumental step forward in artificial intelligence – and broader tech accessibility. But in a world where mentions of AI conjure concerns of tech ethics and information wars, where do up-and-coming LLMs fit in?

    In this episode of Business Extra, host Cody Combs hears from Preslav Nakov, a professor at MBZUAI specialising in artificial intelligence and computational linguistics, about what this means for linguistic and cultural diversity – or whether we're just scratching the surface of what’s possible.

    Show more Show less
    17 mins
  • How Kamala Harris or Donald Trump might affect Middle East technology aspirations
    Sep 18 2024

    The Middle East, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, has witnessed significant growth in sectors such as cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and FinTech, largely driven by cutting-edge technologies.

    Some have speculated that the wealth and innovation created from those industries could eclipse that of the oil industries that defined the region.

    However, this rapid expansion of crypto, AI, and FinTech firms is about to face a challenge – the upcoming US election.

    In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Cody Combs examines the potential implications of a win for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Republican nominee Donald Trump on the Middle East’s lucrative tech industry.

    He is joined by Sam Blatteis, co-founder and chief executive of The MENA Catalysts, a government relations and market entry set-up firm for high-tech multinationals.

    Show more Show less
    13 mins
  • How can EVs accelerate toward market growth?
    Sep 11 2024
    After decades of anticipation, electric vehicles are becoming the mainstream – as more hit the roads globally, despite bumps along the way. EVs are on the rise, driven by greater affordability, environmental concerns and a shift in consumer preferences. But with geopolitics, infrastructure and misconceptions still in the mix, what does the future hold? In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Cody Combs dives into the accelerating world of EVs. He is joined by Hasan Nergiz, managing director of Al Futtaim Electric Mobility Company, and Aravind CJ, a partner at global consultancy Roland Berger, which recently released its most recent EV Charging Index that takes an in-depth look at electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure. The conversation explores how EV adoption is progressing in the UAE and beyond, the crucial role of charging infrastructure, and the policies shaping the industry.
    Show more Show less
    24 mins

What listeners say about Business Extra

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.