The UAE’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), mandated with shaping an advanced R&D ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and supporting the UAE’s strategic research priorities, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Secretariat of Management and Digital Government (SGGD) of the State of São Paulo in Brazil, on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2024. This synergy aims to leverage the technical expertise of ATRC and its subsidiaries for the seamless integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into São Paulo’s technological infrastructure and government services.
Under the terms of the agreement, São Paulo will explore and drive the adoption of Falcon Large Language Models (LLMs) and Falcon-powered solutions, as well as support the use of Falcon within its digital ecosystem across diverse use cases. Furthermore, São Paulo will urge organisations and entities to join the Falcon Foundation and contribute to the advancement of open-source Falcon models. The partnership marks a significant stride in exporting Falcon’s capability at a state level beyond the Middle East, laying the groundwork for global collaborative initiatives that will define the future of technological innovation.
Expressing optimism about the alliance, Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said, “The signing of this agreement underscores ATRC’s dedication to global partnerships in the realm of AI to maximise its benefits. Working hand-in-hand with the government of São Paulo, we look forward to supporting the adoption of Falcon’s innovative solutions across various organisations in the country and establishing a pioneering model for international cooperation in shaping the future of AI.”
Similarly, the Secretary of São Paulo State, Caio Mário Paes De Andrade said, “We are thrilled to initiate this innovative partnership with ATRC, as we join forces to integrate the state-of-the-art Falcon AI models seamlessly into São Paulo’s technological infrastructure and government services. Our joint efforts are poised to ignite global innovation and lead the way for transformative advancements in the field.”
Falcon LLM, a world-leading open-source AI model, is part of the Falcon series of powerful large language models developed by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), ATRC’s applied research arm. ATRC and its commercialisation arm VentureOne launched a pioneering AI company AI71 in November 2023 to deliver specialised AI models for clients – both companies and countries, while giving them the option of decentralized data ownership. Both TII and AI71 offer vital channels for the deployment of the Falcon series of LLMs.