Robots, big data as Gulf nations bet on AI

Visitors walk past a robot outside the Dutch pavilion at the Expo 2020, in Dubai, a sign of things to come for the Gulf, where new cities are being built from scratch with AI at their core. — AFP

Robots puttering around Dubai's hi-tech Expo site could be a sign of things to come for the Gulf, where new cities are being built from scratch with artificial intelligence at their core.

The 5G-enabled Expo, covering an area twice the size of Monaco, will remain as a "city of the future" and tech industry hub, Expo's chief told AFP before its grand opening last month.