Artificial Intelligence Joins the Boardroom: How the UAE Is Creating the Future of Governance

The Age of Artificial General Intelligence: What Governments Must Know

We are on the brink of the artificial general intelligence (AGI) era. How governments respond to this shift will define their legacy. Recently, the UAE announced that a National Artificial Intelligence System will become a non-voting member on all federal and government company boards and serve as an advisory member of the Council of Ministers starting next year. This is more than a headline—it's a clear signal that governance itself is changing.

Intelligence, both human and artificial, will now share the decision-making table. The UAE is not waiting for the future; it is actively creating it.

From Regulation to Shaping Futures

The OECD’s latest Reimagining Government report argues that public sectors can no longer afford to be slow-moving regulators. Governments must become active shapers of behavior, markets, and futures.

While much of the world focuses on AI ethics or fears job losses, the UAE is seizing the opportunity. It is transforming AI from a background support tool into a strategic partner influencing policy and decision-making.

AI’s Leap to Human-Level Reasoning

AI started in academic labs in the 1950s but has accelerated dramatically in recent years. Today’s AI systems can analyze billions of data points, detect financial anomalies, simulate geopolitical risks, and model climate scenarios in real time. This goes beyond automation.

AGI represents systems capable of human-level reasoning across multiple domains. These systems do more than respond; they think, adapt, and generate original insights. Experts like Sam Altman from OpenAI and Dario Amodei from Anthropic suggest AGI could arrive within the next two years.

Practical Implications for Government

Imagine an AGI system tasked with revising a national budget. It could process 30 years of fiscal policies, current public sentiment, environmental conditions, infrastructure needs, and equity goals. It would then simulate the outcomes of dozens of policy options—all within hours.

The private sector is already adopting AI leadership. For example:

• Salesforce credits AI with performing up to 50% of its work with 93% accuracy.
• Chinese gaming firm NetDragon Websoft appointed an AI as chief executive, leading to a 10% increase in stock value.
• Poland’s Dictador placed an AI executive in charge of strategy.

These moves are not stunts; they represent a new leadership model. The UAE is taking this further by institutionalizing AI at the core of government decision-making.

AI as a Strategic Co-Pilot

The AI entity in the UAE government will not vote or replace ministers. Instead, it will act as a strategic co-pilot. It will scan, simulate, and synthesize complex data to enable faster, sharper, and more transparent decisions.

This approach reflects the OECD’s vision of shifting from “reactive bureaucracy” to anticipatory governance. AI’s role at the board level is just the beginning. Expect ministries of health to model pandemic responses, trade agencies to forecast market shifts, and environmental teams to develop adaptive strategies using real-time data.

Building Trust and Transparency

This transformation happens within a sovereign, ethical, and encrypted framework aligned with the UAE’s AI governance standards. This framework is essential for building public trust, especially when “black box” algorithms risk opacity.

The OECD emphasizes that agility is the new legitimacy. Governments that move slowly lose public trust, especially amid climate, health, and geopolitical shocks. The UAE’s model offers real-time simulation, data-driven decisions, and transparency by design.

People Are the Priority

Technology alone isn’t enough. The OECD highlights the need for system thinking, digital skills, and collaborative leadership. These are essential for government relevance in the AI age.

Every level of public service must be upskilled—not just AI engineers, but policy makers, frontline officers, educators, and regulators. Governments must learn to work with machines, not around them.

A New Blueprint for Governance

The UAE’s approach answers a key question posed by the OECD: what if government became a platform where human and artificial intelligence co-create the future?

However, this future is unevenly distributed. While countries like the UAE sprint ahead, others risk lagging behind, stuck in outdated bureaucratic routines and legacy decision-making.

Some governments will hesitate due to concerns about legitimacy, ethics, or optics. But the UAE’s example shows a new blueprint: AI will not replace human leadership—it will augment, challenge, and sharpen it.

In an increasingly complex world, this balance may be governments' most valuable asset.

For government professionals looking to build skills relevant to this future, training in AI and its applications is essential. Explore practical AI courses that focus on public sector needs at Complete AI Training.