Abu Dhabi to use AI to detect hazardous material risks earlier

Abu Dhabi plans to employ agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to identify potential risks associated with hazardous materials more swiftly and enable authorities to respond promptly to such threats. The Abu Dhabi Hazardous Materials Management Centre (ADHMMC) has entered into an agreement with Presight for the exploration of AI's application in the emirate's hazardous materials monitoring and management system.

Through this partnership, AI will continuously examine data from various sources, identify any unusual patterns or risk indicators, evaluate their priority level, and suggest suitable actions to specialized teams.

The ultimate objective of this initiative is to minimize the time gap between detecting a possible risk, analyzing it, and taking appropriate measures. This technology could potentially be applied throughout the entire lifecycle of hazardous materials in Abu Dhabi, encompassing their entry into the emirate, transportation, storage, utilization, treatment, recycling, or safe disposal.

ADHMMC and Presight will initially pinpoint the critical areas where this technology can be leveraged, followed by the development of prototypes and testing these in controlled conditions. The effectiveness of this technology will be evaluated based on aspects such as the speed of risk detection, the precision of alerts, response times, decision-making proficiency, and operational efficiency.

Matar Muaded Almheiri, Acting Director General of ADHMMC, expressed optimism about the potential benefits of this technology, stating that it could facilitate authorities in monitoring evolving conditions and responding to risks at an earlier stage. Additionally, he highlighted that the technology would expand the utilization of data and analytics through agentic AI, enabling the monitoring of evolving conditions, anticipation of risks, and acceleration of decision-making.

The project will also investigate the integration of existing systems, databases, and intelligent applications, ensuring seamless compatibility, cybersecurity, and data requirements. Factors such as AI governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, data sovereignty, and human oversight will be taken into account prior to the deployment of any solutions into operational settings.

Dr Adel Alsharji, Chief Operating Officer of Presight, emphasized that the company would contribute its expertise in AI, public safety, and smart city management to this project. The agreement aligns with the Abu Dhabi Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027, which aims to broaden the application of AI and data within government operations, enhancing the delivery of services and decision-making processes.