22-07-2025
Schools to courts: Dubai expects new AI icons to be used across sectors
Dubai anticipates that its Human-Machine Collaboration (HMC) icons and standards will be adopted across a wide range of sectors — from high schools and universities for assignment submissions to investment consultants advising on market strategies.
'Research and management consultants can use them to build client trust, while legal firms may use them to highlight when human expertise plays a critical role in court recommendations,' said Dr Heba Chehade, Head of Foresight Research at the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), in an interview with Khaleej Times. The DFF developed the system.
'We also see adoption by … creative professionals in media, art and advertising (who may) leverage the system to show the balance between human creativity and machine assistance,' she added. 'This system enables organisations to demonstrate value and authenticity to their audiences.'
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Announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the global classification system introduces five primary classifications indicating levels of human-machine collaboration, along with nine icons that illustrate the point in the process where the interaction occurred.
'Machines' in this context include digital technologies such as algorithms, automation tools, generative AI models, and robotics.
When asked whether usage of the icons will be monitored, Dr Heba clarified that the HMC system is not intended to be a regulatory or policing tool.
'Unlike online detection tools or generative watermarking — which still face technical limitations and are focused purely on outputs — the HMC system is designed to encourage transparency from the start of the process. It is about enabling content creators to disclose where and how AI was involved, acknowledging that even researchers themselves often rely on personal judgement when working iteratively with machines. Rather than enforcing compliance or penalties, the goal is to promote accountability and integrity in a way that is practical and user-driven.'
Government projects
Sheikh Hamdan has directed Dubai Government entities to adopt the system in their research and knowledge-based projects.
'His Highness has directed all Dubai Government entities to integrate the HMC system into their research and knowledge-based efforts,' Dr Heba explained. 'In practice, this can apply anywhere content is created and shared — whether in policy, strategy or public communications. As a guiding principle, any output that informs decision-making and impacts society, whether in the short or long term, should include these icons. For example, a policy report outlining future urban development strategies would benefit from displaying these icons to demonstrate transparency around human and AI contributions.'
Currently, use of the HMC icons is voluntary and open to anyone — in Dubai or globally. 'At the DFF, we implemented the icons immediately upon their announcement. Since then, our research partners, including research institutions and government bodies, have shown significant interest and commitment to adopting them. Like the global community, which has long awaited such standards, we are eager to see which organisations in Dubai and beyond will lead the way.'
Reflecting on how the system came to be, Dr Heba said the foresight research team began with a central question: What if we created a framework that empowers researchers to self-declare, driving greater accountability and encouraging innovation beyond machines' capabilities?
'From ideation and drafting use cases to design iterations and legal protections, the process was deeply collaborative. Our designers transformed early concepts into the icon set we see today, which now stands as a pioneering framework for transparent human-machine collaboration.'
