UAE's 'very powerful' cyber defences can repel attacks, says Mistral AI boss – The National

UAE’s ‘very powerful’ cyber defences can repel attacks, says Mistral AI boss  The National

The UAE's “very powerful” cyber defences enable it to defend against threats, especially during geopolitical instability, the chief executive of French company Mistral AI said. The UAE's pursuit of technological sovereignty will help it establish reliable and secure cyber capabilities, Arthur Mensch told The National at the AI Everything summit in Abu Dhabi. “The UAE is under pressure, in particular, on the defence side,” he said. “Cyber capabilities are a must-have when it comes to having capable defence systems. “Sovereignty matters in that. It's important to be able to wield defence systems without having to ask for permission.” Mr Mensch's comments come after UAE authorities reported an increasing number of cyber attacks.

Last month, the UAE's cyber security chief, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, said the country is continuing to contend with daily online threats, with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps behind many of the attacks. Mr Al Kuwaiti said the country faced about 640,000 attacks on September 15 and that Iran remains “one of the main players” in the high-tech offensive, which is being exacerbated by the rise of AI. “Having very powerful cyber models deployed here in Abu Dhabi in a way where the deployment is fully under Abu Dhabi control is going to be quite important,” Mr Mensch said. Mr Mensch said Mistral AI would consider investing in UAE