Physical Address
4 Elgon Terrace, Kololo, Kampala, Uganda
Abu Dhabi has launched a major new initiative to use artificial intelligence for global food security. The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, in partnership with the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has established the Institute for Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence.
The institute will focus on supporting more than forty three million smallholder farmers across Africa, India, and other regions by providing them with scalable digital advisory services, training programs, and on the ground technical assistance.
This new institute forms part of Abu Dhabi’s broader AI for Agriculture Ecosystem, a global platform designed to make farming more resilient through advanced technology.
A key goal is to fill critical gaps in agricultural data, particularly around local languages, geographic conditions, crop varieties, and farming practices.
By building a trusted, centralized repository of high quality data, the institute will enable the safe and effective training of artificial intelligence models that can deliver accurate, real time advice to farmers on crops, pests, soil health, weather patterns, and market conditions.
The research programs will develop practical tools tailored to smallholder needs, including image based systems that diagnose crop diseases and pests, voice enabled advisory services that work in local languages and do not require literacy, and advanced language models that incorporate real time regional data. All advisory systems will be open access, allowing widespread adoption.
Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Head of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, described the project as an example of how the UAE is using artificial intelligence to strengthen global food systems through innovative international partnerships.
Professor Eric Xing, President of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, emphasized the university’s commitment to applying AI for social good and creating the datasets, technologies, and training pathways needed to reach millions of farmers with localized support.
Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, welcomed the initiative, stating that it will place practical, data driven solutions directly into the hands of smallholder farmers who are most affected by climate change. He praised the leadership shown by the UAE in driving this collaborative effort.
With this launch, Abu Dhabi positions itself at the center of a new wave of agricultural innovation that combines world class artificial intelligence research, international cooperation, and large scale data initiatives to improve productivity, resilience, and livelihoods for farming communities worldwide.
