UAE: Minister in line for conscription

Minister of state for artificial intelligence (since October 2017) Omar Bin Sultan Al-Olama has enlisted in the UAE Armed Forces’ 13th cohort of conscripts for his 16 months’ military service. The freshly shaven-headed minister told his Twitter followers on 12 January he was honoured to enlist and serve the nation, describing it as “the greatest pride of my life.” It is not clear what impact the 29 year-old’s absence from his regular job will make to the federal government’s plans to adopt artificial intelligence.