Omar Al Olama, the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said artificial intelligence and robots would not fully replace human workers at airports, stressing that people remain essential to serving passengers.

Speaking at Emirates airline’s annual ForsaTEK event, Al Olama emphasised that the adoption of advanced technologies must be balanced with human interaction.

“The goal is not to replace the entire airport with robots and AI. The reality is that we need people in essential roles to ensure services retain a human touch while benefiting from technology,” he said.

Balancing innovation with risk management

The UAE’s AI minister also urged organisations to take calculated risks when developing technology and pursuing innovation, rather than bringing innovation to a halt.

Highlighting the importance of organisational reputation, he said the issue was relevant not only to Emirates but also to all airports and government entities.

Al Olama said that once organisations have built credibility and earned public trust, they cannot jeopardise that standing by taking excessive, uncalculated risks. However, they must adopt different approaches to emerging challenges and opportunities.

UAE to announce new partnerships with major technology companies

Al Olama also said the UAE would make several announcements in the coming months regarding new partnerships with major global technology companies, but did not provide further details.

He described early access to advanced technologies as one of the advantages the UAE is seeking to secure, saying it could help attract more people to the country.

The UAE’s AI minister also stressed the importance of protecting sensitive data and retaining control over technologies.

He said early access to technology should not come at the cost of surrendering sensitive data or losing control, adding that this was one of the areas the UAE was working to address.