Group 42 (Emirati company)

Group 42 also known as G42, is an artificial intelligence and cloud computing company that was founded in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2018. The organization claims to be working towards the evolution of AI industries in the government sector, healthcare, finance, oil and gas, aviation and hospitality, etc.

Group 42
TypePrivate
IndustryArtificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing
Founded2018 (2018)
HeadquartersAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Area served
U.A.E.
Key people
  • Peng Xiao (CEO)
ProductsAI
Number of employees
251–500
SubsidiariesG42 Healthcare

Corporate History

Group 42 was founded in 2018. The company renders artificial intelligence and cloud computing software and services. The company is based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. G42 comprises a multidisciplinary and diverse team of data scientists and engineers. The company performs fundamental AI research and development process on big data, AI, and machine learning, via its subsidiary the Inception Institute of Artificial Intelligence (IIAI).[1]

Partnership

G42 works actively and extensively in partnership with networks that connect to the company's ecosystem and align with its vision. The partnerships of the company range from joint ventures, strategic teaming agreements, and direct investment made by G42.

Acquisition
  • Bayanat: On 14 January 2020, G42 announced the acquisition of Bayanat for Mapping and Surveying Services LLC, an end-to-end and custom provider of geospatial data products and services. The acquisition was said to complement G42's suite of satellite-based solutions, leveraging its proficiency in data analytics and artificial intelligence methods.[2][3][4]

Partnership
  • Alibaba Cloud: Alibaba Cloud in partnership with G42, hosted the first MEA Internet Summit. The event was held with the aim of drawing the participation of technology experts and executives from the top 100 Internet companies in the region. The summit took place at the time of the Ghyma Conference 2019. The guests included H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Hajri, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; H.E. Mohammed Gheyath, Executive Director Information Security Operations, Abu Dhabi Digital Authority; G42 CEO, Peng Xiao, and Alibaba Cloud Intelligence President, Selina Yuan.[5][6]
  • Adalytyx: On 23 December 2019, Group 42 announced signing an agreement of strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADDH) for the establishment of a joint venture called Adalytyx.[7]
  • BGI Group: US diplomats and intelligence agencies warned the state of Nevada from using Chinese-made COVID-19 test kits, donated by UAE under Group 42. The warning issued by US officials was based on concerns over patient privacy, the involvement of the Chinese government, and test accuracy, as per documents acquired by The Associated Press.[8] G42 allegedly partnered with Chinese genetic sequencing firm, BGI Group in May 2020 and offered to donate 200,000 test kits for coronavirus tests, worth nearly $20 million. The rapid-testing system was created in collaboration by the BGI Group and Group 42 in UAE.[9] In response to the queries posed by the Associated Press, BGI Group denied any involvement in the UAE-backed donation to Nevada and claimed that it never had any direct contact with the state. The US-led concerns regarding donations made by G42 were raised following allegations of state surveillance and spying against the firm in the past.[10]

Investment
  • ToTok: Group 42 was reportedly the sole registered shareholder of the free messaging, video, and voice calling mobile application, ToTok. The application was accused of being "used by the government of the United Arab Emirates to try to track every conversation, movement, relationship, appointment, sound and image of those who install it," in a New York Times exposé in December 2019.[11] The application was downloaded by users in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa, within several months. Following the allegations, the application was removed by Apple and Google from their respective application stores. Reportedly, the CEO of G42 has also been running Pegasus – a subsidiary of an Emirati security firm, DarkMatter, which received scrutiny over the hiring of former CIA and NSA officials to spy on Americans, dissidents, and political rivals. The company, however, denies having any connection with DarkMatter.[12][13]

Collaboration
  • Rafael and IAI: On 2 July 2020, G42 announced the signing a memorandum of understanding with two Israeli defense groups – Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries – to research and develop methods to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Israeli defense firms’ subsidiary Elta confirmed the agreement.[14][15]
  • NanoScent: The healthcare subsidiary of G42 signed a preliminary agreement with NanoScent, Israel, on 19 August 2020 for the development, distribution, and manufacturing of a test capable of detecting COVID-19 from the air exhaled. The device to be used, namely ScentCheck, was reported to be under development at the time of reporting. The Emirati News Agency claimed the device could deliver results in 30 to 60 seconds. G42 was said to undergo several tests for the device in the forthcoming weeks.[16][17]
  • BGI Group: Tahnoun bin Zayed-linked Group 42 was reported to have donated Chinese-made Covid testing kits to Nevada. These testing kits were objected to by the US intelligence and security officials, who raised concerns over privacy risks, citing that the gene-sequencing machines of the BGI Group could misuse the patients’ DNA. G42 is also reportedly working with BGI on a project for collecting genetic data of the UAE citizens to “generate the highest quality, most comprehensive genome data”.[18] [19]

References
  1. "About G42". Group 42.
  2. "Artificial intelligence company Group 42 acquires Abu Dhabi-based Bayanat". The National. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  3. "G42 Announces the Acquisition of Bayanat". Group 42. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  4. "Group 42 announces acquisition of Bayanat". Emirates News Agency. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  5. "Tech Giant Alibaba Cloud Partners With UAE's Group 42 to Host First MEA Internet Summit". Bloomberg. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  6. "Tech Giant Alibaba Cloud Partners With UAE's Group 42 to Host First MEA Internet Summit". Business Wire. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  7. "ADDH and G42 Announce Joint Venture". Group 42. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  8. "US warned Nevada not to use Chinese COVID tests from UAE". AP News. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  9. "Las Vegas needed help testing for coronavirus. Then a crown prince stepped in". LA Times. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  10. "Co-creator defends suspected UAE spying app called ToTok". AP News. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  11. "It Seemed Like a Popular Chat App. It's Secretly a Spy Tool". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  12. "Co-creator defends suspected UAE spying app called ToTok". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  13. "Google and Apple remove alleged UAE spy app ToTok". BBC. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  14. "Israeli, UAE technology firms pen deal on virus research". ABC News. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  15. "Group 42 joins forces with Israeli Rafael and IAI to defeat Covid-19". Emirates News Agency. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  16. "UAE's G42 Healthcare and Israel's NanoScent sign MOU for COVID-19 screening test". Reuters. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  17. "UAE's G42 Healthcare and Israel's NanoScent sign MOU for COVID-19 screening device". Nasdaq. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  18. "US warned Nevada not to use Chinese COVID tests from UAE". Associated Press. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  19. "Chinese Covid-19 Tests Were Pushed by Federal Agencies Despite Security Warnings". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
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