Latest news with #Lilli
Time of India
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
UAE: Can 17-year-olds begin driving lessons? Parents question delays
Despite the new law, many driving schools are delaying lessons for 17-year-olds, awaiting official guidelines (Representative Inage) In an eagerly awaited change to the UAE's traffic regulations, teenagers turning 17 can now apply for a driving license starting March 29, 2025. This marks a significant shift from the previous requirement of 18 years, allowing those as young as 17 to get behind the wheel of a car. However, as many parents are discovering, the law's implementation has not been as seamless as expected, with confusion and delays creating frustration for those eager to enroll their children in driving lessons. A New Era for Teen Drivers in the UAE The UAE government's announcement in October 2024 brought a wave of excitement among young residents. The new federal decree lowered the age for obtaining a driving license from 18 to 17 years for cars and light vehicles. The law, which officially took effect in March 2025, was heralded as a long-awaited reform, giving teenagers the chance to apply for permits as soon as they turn 17. While the law was meant to be a progressive step in reducing barriers to driving for youth, the transition has not been as smooth as anticipated. Despite the rule being officially in place, many driving schools across the country are still hesitant to start training 17-year-olds. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Parents Hit a Roadblock: 'It's a Missed Opportunity' Parents, especially those with children who are on the verge of turning 17, are left feeling frustrated by the lack of clarity and delay in driving schools' responses. One such parent, Lilli, based in Dubai, spoke exclusively to local news outlet, Khaleej Times about her experience. 'I called five institutes in Dubai, but they all turned me down,' she shared. Lilli, whose daughter turned 17 in May 2025, was hoping to use the summer break as an ideal time for her daughter to start driving lessons. With school out and fewer cars on the road, the summer would have been the perfect opportunity for her daughter to get comfortable behind the wheel. However, Lilli's hopes were dashed when every institute she contacted either denied her request or mentioned that lessons would not be available until her daughter was 17 and a half. 'They said that although the rule had been announced, they had not received any directive to start offering classes to 17-year-olds,' Lilli explained. 'I had thought it would be great for my daughter to have the full two months of summer break to practice her driving. The roads would be relatively empty, and she would be off school, so it would have been a great chance for her to get comfortable driving. It is truly a missed opportunity. ' Lilli said most of the institutes were willing to open her daughter's file, but lessons would only begin once she turned 17 years and six months, meaning she would not be able to start until January 2026. 'I am guessing it is going to take time for the rules to actually be actioned, but it was very disappointing for us to expect something and not have it happen,' she added. 'Hopefully, the law will be enforced soon.' Confusion at Driving Institutes: 'We Are Waiting for Official Directives' The frustration is shared by many other parents who have reached out to driving schools across the UAE. When contacted by Khaleej Times, several driving institutes confirmed that they are aware of the new law, but are still waiting for formal guidelines from authorities on how to proceed. A representative from Galadari Driving Institute explained that although students can open a file, they cannot start lessons until they are at least 17 and a half. 'Students can open a file with us now, but they can start learning either when they turn 17.5 years old or when the new rule is fully implemented,' the operator said. 'We do not have any information about when the rule will be rolled out.' Similar statements were echoed by the Sharjah Driving Institute. Another operator confirmed that although the federal rule had been announced, they had not yet received clear instructions on how to implement it. 'We know about the new federal rule, but it has not been put in place yet. We are still waiting for official information on when it will be rolled out,' the operator said. This uncertainty has left many parents feeling stranded, unable to move forward with plans for their children's driving lessons despite the law being officially in place. Hopes for Swift Implementation As parents continue to await clarity, there is hope that the situation will soon be resolved. Several driving schools have promised to start offering lessons to 17-year-olds once they receive clear directives from local authorities. In the meantime, teenagers eager to begin driving must remain patient. Many institutes are still adjusting to the new regulations, and parents are hopeful that the changes will soon be put into action. Frustration has also spilled over onto social media, with one parent sharing, 'My son was so excited by the law change, but we keep calling and they tell us it's not in Dubai yet.' Many continue to wait, hopeful that the law will soon be fully implemented across the UAE.
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Can 17-year-olds start driving lessons yet? Parents rue lack of clarity
Parents looking to enrol their teenage child for driving lessons this summer are facing a roadblock. Despite a new rule that youngsters aged 17 and above can apply for their driving licence, most institutes in the UAE still require that applicants be at least 17.5 years old before they can register for classes. Several parents shared that this was a 'missed opportunity' for many teenagers. Dubai-based parent Lilli was hoping that the summer break would be a good opportunity for her daughter to start driving lessons. 'I called five institutes in Dubai, but they all turned me down,' she said. 'They said that although the rule had been announced, they had not received any directive to start offering classes to 17-year-olds. I had thought it would be great for my daughter to have the full two months of summer break to practice her driving. The roads would be relatively empty, and she would be off school, so it would have been a great chance for her to get comfortable driving. It is truly a missed opportunity.' Lilli, whose daughter turned 17 in May, said that most of the institutes offered to open her daughter's file but she would be allowed inside a car only by January once she was 17 years and six months. 'I am guessing it is going to take time for rules to be actually actioned, but it was very disappointing for us to expect something and not have it happen,' she said. 'Hopefully the law will be enforced soon.' It was in March this year that the UAE lowered the minimum age limit for obtaining a driving licence to 17. Earlier, youngsters could start learning driving once they were 17 years and six months but would be issued a licence only once they turned 18. This was changed when a new federal decree law on traffic regulations was passed in October 2024. 'No information yet on new rule' A telephone operator at Galadari Driving Institute confirmed that it was not yet possible for 17-year-olds to apply for their licence. 'Students can open a file with us now,' the operator confirmed. 'They can start learning either when they turn 17.5 years or when the new rule is implemented." She added that there was no clarity on when the new rules will be implemented. Her comments were confirmed by another telephone operator at Sharjah Driving Institute. 'We know about the new federal rule, but it has not been put in place as yet,' the operator said. 'We are yet to receive any information about when it will be rolled out.' Several parents took to social media to share similar experiences with other driving institutes. 'My son was so excited by the law change but we keep calling and they tell us it is not in Dubai yet,' wrote one parent.
AU Financial Review
02-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
McKinsey leans on AI to do junior workers' tasks
New York | McKinsey's consultants are increasingly drafting proposals and making PowerPoint slides using the firm's generative artificial intelligence platform, which has developed enough to take over at least some of the tasks typically performed by junior employees. While employees have access to the likes of OpenAI's ChatGPT, they can only input confidential client data into Lilli, the proprietary platform aggregating McKinsey's knowledge base, according to Kate Smaje, the company's global leader of technology and AI.
Entrepreneur
02-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
AI Creates PowerPoints at McKinsey Replacing Junior Workers
Over 75% of McKinsey employees now use the internal AI tool Lilli, which safely handles confidential information. McKinsey consultants are using the firm's proprietary AI platform to take over tasks that have traditionally been handled by junior employees. Kate Smaje, McKinsey's global leader of technology and AI, told Bloomberg on Monday that McKinsey employees are increasingly tapping into Lilli, the internal AI platform the firm launched in 2023. While employees are permitted to use ChatGPT internally, Lilli is the only platform that allows them to input confidential client data safely. Related: Salesforce Has Used AI to Reduce Personnel Costs By $50 Million This Year. Here's Which Roles Are Affected. Over 75% of McKinsey's 43,000 employees are now using Lilli monthly, Smaje disclosed. Lilli was named after Lillian Dombrowski, the first woman hired by McKinsey in 1945. Through Lilli, McKinsey consultants can create a PowerPoint slideshow through a prompt and modify the tone of the presentation with a tool called "Tone of Voice" to ensure that the text aligns with the firm's writing style. They can also draft proposals for client projects while maintaining the firm's standards, find internal subject matter experts, and research industry trends. Lilli has advanced enough to take over tasks typically assigned to junior employees, but Smaje says that doesn't mean McKinsey is going to hire fewer junior analysts. "Do we need armies of business analysts creating PowerPoints? No, the technology could do that," Smaje told Bloomberg. "It's not necessarily that I'm going to have fewer of them [analysts], but they're going to be doing the things that are more valuable to our clients." McKinsey told Business Insider that Lilli was trained on the firm's entire intellectual property, encompassing over 100,000 documents and interviews across the firm's nearly 100-year history. McKinsey employees who use Lilli turn to it 17 times per week on average, a McKinsey senior partner told BI. A case study published on McKinsey's website shows that Lilli answers over half a million prompts every month, saving workers 30% of the time they would have spent on gathering and synthesizing information. Related: The CEO of $61 Billion Anthropic Says AI Will Take Over a Crucial Part of Software Engineers' Jobs Within a Year Consulting firms have been tapping into AI for years. Bain consultants have access to Sage, an AI chatbot powered by OpenAI. At Boston Consulting Group, employees use an AI tool called Deckster to fine-tune their PowerPoint presentations. Meanwhile, at other companies, AI is taking over tasks once completed by human workers. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said last month that the company replaced hundreds of human resources staff with AI, then used the freed-up resources to hire more programmers and salespeople. A report from SignalFire, a venture capital firm that tracks over 650 million employees on LinkedIn, found that new graduates accounted for just 7% of new hires in 2024 at big tech companies, down 25% from 2023, as AI takes over entry-level tasks.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
McKinsey's AI Now Writes the Deck--Is This the Future of Consulting?
The consulting world might be on the edge of a quiet transformationand McKinsey is already deep in it. Its in-house AI, Lilli, isn't just answering questions anymore. It's writing slides, setting tone, and churning out client-ready reports. Over 75% of McKinsey's employees use the tool regularly, and it's now considered by leadership as part of the team. Headcount has dropped from over 45,000 at the end of 2023 to around 40,000 today. But rather than signal cuts, the firm suggests that AI is freeing people to focus on higher-value work. Do I need armies of analysts making PowerPoints? No, said tech chief Kate Smaje. Is that a bad thing? No, that's a great thing. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with MSFT. Other firms aren't sitting idle. Bain consultants are working with Sage, a custom OpenAI-powered chat system. PWC's Strategy& taps Microsoft Copilot. And at Boston Consulting Group, AI now contributes around 20% of the firm's total revenuea share it expects to climb. Accenture, meanwhile, is going big on physical infrastructure, building 10 global AI hubs, including one in London. What used to be slide decks and spreadsheets is quickly turning into prompt engineering, proprietary LLMs, and tech stacks. McKinsey's own AI muscle doesn't stop at Lilli. Its QuantumBlack unit is scaling up, with help from partners like Anthropic, Cohere, and Mistral AI. For investors watching the consulting-tech collision, this moment could signal something deeper: a shift in how value is created and delivered at the enterprise level. And as demand for generative AI ramps up, companies like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)a key OpenAI partnerand other AI infrastructure leaders could be indirect winners. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
