UAE's 'very powerful' cyber defences can repel attacks, says Mistral AI boss

The chief executive of French firm Mistral AI, Arthur Mensch, has stated that the UAE's robust cybersecurity measures are capable of effectively countering threats, particularly in times of heightened geopolitical tension. During an interview at the AI Everything summit in Abu Dhabi, Mensch emphasized that the UAE's focus on technological self-reliance will aid it in developing secure and dependable cyber capabilities.

He noted that "cyber capabilities are a must-have when it comes to having capable defence systems" and stressed the importance of "sovereignty" in ensuring that defense systems can be utilized without needing permission.

Mensch pointed to a recent surge in cyberattacks, with the UAE's cybersecurity chief Mohamed Al Kuwaiti reporting around 640,000 attacks on September 15. He highlighted Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as major contributors to these attacks, exacerbated by the increasing influence of AI in cyber warfare. Mensch underscored the significance of deploying powerful cyber models within the UAE, under full control of Abu Dhabi authorities, as a crucial step for the country's defense and AI development.

He also hinted at potential investments in UAE data centers, a move that would strengthen Mistral AI's collaboration with Abu Dhabi and advance the nation's AI initiatives. Mistral AI has already collaborated with local entities such as G42 and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, launching its latest AI model, Mistral Large 4, which boasts impressive speed and performance, rivaling top open-source models from China.