emirates7 - At the UAE's inaugural Llama Design Drive Demo Day, 30 innovators—including 22 startups and 8 AI professionals—unveiled groundbreaking AI-driven solutions during an exclusive event at the Dubai Future Foundation. This event marked the culmination of Meta’s AI accelerator program, which was developed in partnership with the Dubai Future Foundation and powered by Startupbootcamp. Nineteen teams showcased their AI applications, addressing real-world challenges for major UAE companies such as Emirates Airline, Chalhoub Group, Dubai Holding, and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Over the course of the four-week program, the participating startups and engineers received support from Meta to prototypes using Meta’s open-source Llama 3.2 large language model, aiming to solve challenges posed by corporate partners. Each partner highlighted the transformative potential of AI across various industries by presenting specific challenges.
For example, Emirates Airline aimed to alleviate travel anxiety for people with disabilities and senior travelers. The startup Indigo Hive developed "MyTravelGuide," a conversational WhatsApp chatbot that helps travelers with accessibility needs by retraining Llama. Icom Innovation introduced "Ike," an AI assistant designed to provide personalized accessibility support using real-time data verification and Llama’s multimodal features.
The Dubai-based company Transcend Technologies developed "Chalhoub Analytics," a platform that utilizes Llama’s deep learning capabilities to analyze and optimize luxury brand and store performance. Fitch Technologies tackled inventory management with "FocastIQ," a tool that uses predictive analytics to improve stock control by reducing overstock and stockouts.
CarbonSifr presented a multi-agent AI solution for automating greenhouse gas emissions tracking and reporting, incorporating Llama AI for enhanced data processing. Other participants, like Byanat, presented AI-driven platforms that enhance user interactions by leveraging mobility data, while Oryx showcased "TransfeX," a solution that optimizes public transportation efficiency by analyzing route connections.
The event was a key moment for the UAE's AI sector, highlighting the role of open-source AI in creating solutions with both commercial and societal impact. Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, emphasized the importance of partnerships with global tech leaders to support Dubai’s startup ecosystem and tackle key challenges aligned with the city's economic and social goals. Meta’s Joulan Abdul Khalek added that the initiative demonstrated the power of open-source AI in fostering innovation and addressing complex industry challenges.
Over the course of the four-week program, the participating startups and engineers received support from Meta to prototypes using Meta’s open-source Llama 3.2 large language model, aiming to solve challenges posed by corporate partners. Each partner highlighted the transformative potential of AI across various industries by presenting specific challenges.
For example, Emirates Airline aimed to alleviate travel anxiety for people with disabilities and senior travelers. The startup Indigo Hive developed "MyTravelGuide," a conversational WhatsApp chatbot that helps travelers with accessibility needs by retraining Llama. Icom Innovation introduced "Ike," an AI assistant designed to provide personalized accessibility support using real-time data verification and Llama’s multimodal features.
The Dubai-based company Transcend Technologies developed "Chalhoub Analytics," a platform that utilizes Llama’s deep learning capabilities to analyze and optimize luxury brand and store performance. Fitch Technologies tackled inventory management with "FocastIQ," a tool that uses predictive analytics to improve stock control by reducing overstock and stockouts.
CarbonSifr presented a multi-agent AI solution for automating greenhouse gas emissions tracking and reporting, incorporating Llama AI for enhanced data processing. Other participants, like Byanat, presented AI-driven platforms that enhance user interactions by leveraging mobility data, while Oryx showcased "TransfeX," a solution that optimizes public transportation efficiency by analyzing route connections.
The event was a key moment for the UAE's AI sector, highlighting the role of open-source AI in creating solutions with both commercial and societal impact. Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, emphasized the importance of partnerships with global tech leaders to support Dubai’s startup ecosystem and tackle key challenges aligned with the city's economic and social goals. Meta’s Joulan Abdul Khalek added that the initiative demonstrated the power of open-source AI in fostering innovation and addressing complex industry challenges.