OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday became the first recipient of an honorary doctorate from Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony was held at MBZUAI headquarters in Abu Dhabi on Thursday and was attended by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. MBZUAI awards first honorary doctorate to Altman According to MBZUAI, the honorary PhD award recognises Altman for his role in transforming artificial intelligence "from research labs to real-world impact at an unprecedented scale, highlighting his leadership in making AI accessible to billions of users worldwide through ChatGPT and other OpenAI products. The honorary PhD award recognises Altman for his role in transforming artificial intelligence. (Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office) The recognition aligns with the UAE's vision for AI leadership and building "a comprehensive AI ecosystem designed to serve humanity and drive inclusive growth," MBZUAI said in a statement. "Contributing to the UAE's ambition to create positive global change through advanced technology, the conferral of MBZUAI's first Honorary Doctorate on Sam Altman is a testament to the university's growing stature as a global centre of excellence in artificial intelligence," Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of MBZUAI's Board of Trustees, said. 'UAE’s bold vision to advance AI' Altman, who thanked MBZUAI for the honour, also lauded the university and the UAE for their commitment to AI research. “The university’s commitment to putting AI at the centre of education and research is truly commendable. As we enter a new era shaped by AI, the UAE’s bold vision to advance this technology responsibly and ambitiously aligns with our mission to ensure its benefits are widely shared,” Altman said. Sam Altman with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office) Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Artificial Intelligence The MBZUAI, which was established in 2019, is the first graduate-level research university focused on artificial intelligence. It is named after Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the third president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022. The university offers undergraduate, master's, and PhD programmes in artificial intelligence, computer science, computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, robotics, and statistics and data science and aims to produce a new generation of AI leaders and experts.
