Sheikh Hamdan launches 'One Million Prompters' initiative to galvanise AI workforce

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), on Tuesday announced the launch of the world’s first and largest Artificial Intelligence (AI) prompt engineering training initiative. Based in Dubai, ‘One Million Prompters’ aims to upskill one million people in prompt engineering over the next three years.

“With this global initiative, overseen by DFF, we aim to prepare, develop and empower competencies with the skills needed to harness the potential of AI applications to advance innovation, progress and economic growth,” Sheikh Hamdan said, stressing that keeping pace with technology trends is key to the success of governments and societies.

Sheikh Hamdan added: “We are experiencing a tremendous acceleration in technological progress, which requires new skills in labour markets. Coding was formerly in demand, but today, prompt engineering has become one of the most promising skills.”

Sheikh Hamdan said: “We want to be the most future-ready city and to continue preparing for the AI era by developing expertise and skills that support global technological transformation, placing Dubai at the forefront of innovation.”

‘One Million Prompters’ was launched on Tuesday in line with the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence, aiming to accelerate the adoption of AI applications. It is the first-of-its-kind prompt engineering initiative to develop expertise and competencies in AI prompt engineering, which involves crafting precise and effective instructions for AI systems to achieve desired outcomes in various tasks, ranging from generating creative content to solving complex challenges.

Accredited certifications

The initiative will follow an extensive programme that includes training courses to upskill individuals in AI and prompt engineering, offering them accredited certifications to validate their expertise and help them stand out.

In addition, it will host various competitions and provide a platform for talents to network and collaborate with experts across the technology ecosystem.

‘One Million Prompters’ was announced as Sheikh Hamdan attended the final round of the Global Prompt Engineering Championship, the world’s biggest AI prompt engineering challenge.

The championship concluded on Tuesday after two days of contests in which participants competed for total prizes of Dhs1 million. It was organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) and overseen by DFF.

In the presence of Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of the Dubai Council, Sheikh Hamdan honoured the Global Prompt Engineering Championship's winners across three categories: Coding, Literature, and Art.

The winner of the Coding category was Ajay Cyril from India. Megan Fowkes from Austria won the Art segment, while Aditya Nair from India was victorious in the Literature category.

Sheikh Hamdan directed that the second edition of the Global Prompt Engineering Championship, to be held next year, should be expanded to include more categories in areas such as software, videos, and other key fields.

Sheikh Hamdan said: “This global championship witnessed outstanding performances from some of the world's most promising talents in prompt engineering. We look forward to attracting a greater number of competitors from around the world, across new categories and sectors. We aim for this competition to become an annual global platform that empowers talents and highlights the importance of cooperation among stakeholders to shape a better future for societies through technological progress.”

Also attending the event were Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; Hala Badri, Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture); Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation; and Saeed Mohammed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

Entries from all over the world

The Global Prompt Engineering Championship received thousands of entries from around 100 countries. Thirty finalists qualified from 13 countries to come to Dubai and compete for the title of Best Prompt Engineer across the competition’s three categories.

The championship final took place at the Museum of the Future (MOTF) on Tuesday, 21 May, with three finalists in each category competing for the top honours. Competitors were judged by a panel of experts including Benedetta Ghione from Art Dubai, Saeed Kharbash from Dubai Culture, and Mazen Abou Najm from Microsoft in the Art category; Mustafa Alrawi from International Media Investments, Ahlam Bolooki from the Emirates Literature Foundation, and Ramesh Chander from Google in the Literature category; and Ashraf Khan from IBM, Abdul Rahman Al-Mahmoud from the Artificial Intelligence Office, UAE, and Ahmed El Sayed from Google in the Coding category.

The Global Prompt Engineering Championship also included engaging workshops in cooperation with major international tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, and IBM, in addition to the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the event's strategic partner.