Abu Dhabi is giving away what Silicon Valley sells.
The United Arab Emirates is offering its advanced Falcon artificial intelligence programs completely free at a time when OpenAI, Google, and their peers charge hefty fees for access to their more powerful versions. Falcon, an AI chatbot that can understand and generate human-like text in multiple languages, comes with a license that allows anyone to use, modify, or sell the technology without paying a cent, according to the Technology Innovation Institute, the Abu Dhabi government-funded research center that created Falcon.
TII continues to release new versions, including Falcon Arabic for regional language processing and Falcon-e for energy-efficient AI usage.
The UAE’s approach comes as AI is becoming the new oil — prompting nations to fight for control. ChatGPT, Gemini, and other leading Western AI models remain proprietary systems. The companies typically charge $20 a month for some versions, with prices running into thousands of dollars monthly for businesses that need higher usage limits.
By offering free and open-source alternatives, the UAE is turning its petroleum profits into digital influence, and could become the go-between in a technology world split between the U.S. and China.
Access to AI must be a right for everyone and not a privilege of only a few.
“Access to AI must be a right for everyone and not a privilege of only a few,” Hakim Hacid, chief researcher at TII, told Rest of World. “The TII is taking the open-source approach as a strategic differentiator, positioning Falcon as a trusted and transparent alternative in the global AI landscape.”
The UAE’s strategy is distinct from that of Silicon Valley giants, which guard their best AI models as proprietary software. Even Meta’s Llama 3, despite being labeled open-source, includes commercial restrictions that Falcon completely eliminates.
A McKinsey survey from April 2025 found that 60% of organizations say open-source AI costs less to implement than proprietary tools, and more than 80% of five developers consider open-source skills essential for their careers. About two-thirds of developers say these tools make their jobs more satisfying.
While TII imposes no fees, it requires users to credit the source and comply with ethical and lawful standards. It also retains the right to update the terms or introduce additional governance measures if safety concerns arise, Hacid said.
Schools, governments, and businesses across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America have shown strong interest in Falcon’s ability to adapt to local needs, from regional languages to teaching methods, he said.
“This approach allows partners to adjust the programs for regional needs, whether in local languages, education systems, or cultural contexts,” Hacid said.
While Chinese companies like Baidu and Alibaba have released their own versions, experts say China’s offerings are scattered and confusing, with poor instructions and little transparency for international users, unlike Falcon’s unified system.
Each region’s AI strategy reveals its priorities, Levent Ergin, chief strategist for climate, sustainability, and AI at California-based software firm Informatica, told Rest of World. The U.S. typically releases programs with strings attached, while China’s efforts remain fragmented with too many overlapping projects, he said.
The UAE’s approach stands out for its global accessibility and permissiveness.
“The UAE’s approach stands out for its global accessibility and permissiveness,” Ergin said. “That is both bold and visionary. It promotes support for many languages rather than forcing everyone to use American or Chinese systems.”
Open-source software’s universal accessibility creates both opportunities and risks: Contributors can emerge from anywhere but may abandon projects when better alternatives appear, said Peter Pugh-Jones, field chief data officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at U.S. tech company Confluent.
“Many customers in the Middle East and Southeast Asia now want control over their data, local compliance, and flexible options,” Pugh-Jones told Rest of World. “There is a clear global trend, partly driven by today’s political climate, toward locally controlled services and infrastructure.”
Still, big problems remain for businesses that want to use free AI in real work. Many companies worry about using open programs in sensitive areas like hospitals, banks, or military systems, where strict rules and security fears drive decisions.
“Free AI faces similar challenges to paid versions, especially around ethics and the huge amounts of data needed to make them work,” Pugh-Jones said.
Despite the roadblocks, 76% of companies plan to use more free AI programs, according to McKinsey’s research. This shows the appetite for alternatives to dominant U.S. and Chinese platforms, creating opportunity for neutral players like the UAE.
Even as TII improves Falcon, it remains committed to keeping it free. The institute is building a new version that combines different technologies to work better and use less power, while also teaching it to understand both words and pictures.
Safety remains important despite the free approach, Hacid said. TII is teaching its programs to learn from human feedback, removing harmful content, and making sure they behave properly.
“We are actively working with international AI safety organizations to align Falcon’s development with global best practices,” Hacid said.
The emphasis on ignored languages through Falcon’s Arabic version shows the UAE’s strategic thinking. TII sees Arabic-speaking AI as crucial for schools, governments, and customer service across the Middle East, filling a gap Western developers have mostly overlooked.
“One of open-source’s greatest strengths is also its core challenge: Anyone can contribute from anywhere, but support can shift quickly when something newer or better emerges,” Pugh-Jones said. “That dynamic can make it harder to maintain consistency for mission-critical production workloads.”
The political effects reach beyond technology. By offering powerful, freely available AI programs, the UAE is inviting other nations to build their digital future on the foundations it has laid.
Few nations can build an advanced AI program like Falcon, and fewer still would be likely to give it away free.
The achievement signals the UAE’s growing capabilities, David Boast, regional manager for the UAE and Saudi Arabia at U.K. software firm Endava, told Rest of World. Not many nations have the resources and expertise to build advanced AI, and even fewer would share it freely, he said.
“Few nations can build an advanced AI program like Falcon, and fewer still would be likely to give it away free,” Boast said. “That says a lot about the UAE’s growing technical capabilities, but also its mindset: It’s not innovating in isolation.”
Falcon’s flexible design allows engineers to switch programs easily without rebuilding their systems, making it simple to adapt to local laws and changing rules.
TII is building tools to observe how people use Falcon and prevent misuse. The oversight measures balance freedom with responsibility, though TII retains the right to change rules if safety issues appear, Hacid said.
The UAE’s commitment extends beyond technology to broader goals. TII views its work as part of a mission to democratize advanced computing power.
“Ultimately, our focus is on making AI more responsible, more inclusive, and more effective for everyone,” Hacid said.
Great Job Divsha Bhat & the Team @ Rest of World – Source link for sharing this story.
