UAE Uses AI to Demonstrate Ancient Civilization Data in Digital Art

General view of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
General view of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
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UAE Uses AI to Demonstrate Ancient Civilization Data in Digital Art

General view of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
General view of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

ICD Brookfield Place proudly unveiled DATAMONOLITH_AI, an innovative, digital artwork conceived by the new media studio, Ouchhh. The piece is seen as a creative collaboration between machines and humans.

DATAMONOLITH_AI is a representation of some of the world's oldest available data from the Middle East in the form of a digital sculpture hosted by Dubai. It is a cultural convergence of ancient and contemporary cultures, and it was exhibited across the globe in major metropolitan cities such as New York, London, Taipei, Tokyo and Barcelona.

To create this piece, the studio used data from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period (9600–7000 BC) processed through a series of algorithms and powered by artificial intelligence.

This data is represented on four LED panels comprised of three billion pixels. Images collected from one of the world's oldest archaeological sites, located in Göbekli Tepe in south-eastern Anatolia, are translated into illuminations on a monumental obelisk, creating an ever-changing display that translates still images into a living sculpture.

The public art installation will be on display at ICD Brookfield Place until 23rd March 2021.

"Ouchhh discovers the hybrid spaces of the virtual and physical worlds as a combined environment that redefines the future of art in 21st century with DATAMONOLITH_AI. Ouchhh's main goal is not just to create an iconic landmark but also to create a data-driven public artwork to inspire and create a sense of marvel to everyone who experiences it. Data as paint, algorithm as a brush," said Ferdi Alici of Ouchhh.



China’s Premier Li Proposes Global AI Cooperation Organization

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)
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China’s Premier Li Proposes Global AI Cooperation Organization

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday proposed establishing an organization to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, calling on countries to coordinate on the development and security of the fast-evolving technology.

Speaking at the opening of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth but said governance is fragmented and emphasizing the need for more coordination between countries to form a globally recognized framework for AI.

The three-day event brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the United States - the world's two largest economies - with AI emerging as a key battleground.

"Overall global AI governance is still fragmented. Countries have great differences particularly in terms of areas such as regulatory concepts, institutional rules," Li said. "We should strengthen coordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible."

Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including the most high-end AI chips made by companies such as Nvidia and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns that the technology could enhance China's military capabilities.

Despite these restrictions, China has continued making AI breakthroughs that have drawn close scrutiny from US officials.

Li did not name the United States in his speech but he warned that AI could become an "exclusive game" for a few countries and companies, adding that challenges included an insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange.

GOVERNANCE PLAN

China wants to share its development experience and products with other countries, especially those in the Global South, Li said.

Also on Saturday, China released an action plan for global AI governance, in which it invited governments, international organizations, enterprises and research institutions to work together and promote international exchanges including through a cross-border open-source community.

The plan proposes accelerating digital infrastructure such as clean power, new-generation networks and data centers, according to a statement from China's foreign ministry.

The AI conference is an annual government-sponsored event in Shanghai that typically attracts major industry players, government officials, researchers and investors.

Saturday's speakers included Anne Bouverot, the French president's special envoy for AI, computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as "the Godfather of AI", and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has in past years regularly appeared at the opening ceremony in person or by video, did not speak this year.

Besides forums, the conference features exhibitions where companies demonstrate their latest innovations.

This year, more than 800 companies are participating, showcasing more than 3,000 high-tech products, 40 large language models, 50 AI-powered devices and 60 intelligent robots, according to organizers.

The exhibition features predominantly Chinese companies, including tech giants Huawei and Alibaba and startups such as humanoid robot maker Unitree. Western participants include Tesla, Alphabet and Amazon.