From consumers to creators: How AI can empower People of Determination in UAE

The World Health Organisation estimates over 2.5 billion people will need at least one assistive technology by 2030

PUBLISHED: Sat 27 Jun 2026, 6:00 AM

The UAE is positioning artificial intelligence as a central pillar of its push to redesign education for the future, with a specific focus on enabling People of Determination to learn independently and integrate fully into the education system, according to a recent study by Mona Al Hammadi, an Emirati researcher specialising in education and AI technologies.

The study points to several concrete strands of this effort, including investment in AI-related educational research for this community, and rewards for researchers who specialise in developing such solutions, an incentive meant to encourage innovation.

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A further opportunity is the organisation of open, recurring conferences to share AI tools and expertise, aimed at producing recommendations suited to People of Determination's capabilities and supporting entry into the wider job market. The study also proposes a dedicated AI-supported broadcast platform, a television or YouTube channel, to connect People of Determination worldwide and share best practice in education.

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These efforts sit alongside a broader shift the study expects: moving students from passive consumers of technology to creators and analysts of the digital tools they use, a shift of particular significance for learners who have historically had less access to mainstream educational technology.

Beyond policy, AI-powered tools are already in everyday use. Microsoft's Seeing AI narrates printed and handwritten text aloud for visually impaired users, Read&Write supports people with dyslexia through text to speech and word prediction, and Be My Eyes connects visually impaired users with sighted volunteers over live video. AI sign language translators help deaf users convert speech to text and back in real time, while apps such as Zyrobotics analyse a learner's interaction with material to flag difficulties early.

Most are ordinary consumer apps rather than specialised hardware, meaning People of Determination and their families can use many of them on a regular smartphone, often for free or at low cost.

These efforts unfold against a fast growing global backdrop. The worldwide AI in education market is projected to grow from $3.43 billion in 2023 to $54.5 billion by 2032, as per a Research and Markets report cited in the study. Yet the World Health Organisation estimates over 2.5 billion people will need at least one assistive technology by 2030, with nearly a billion unable to access it, a gap a 2024 UNESCO review attributes partly to cost and digital literacy barriers.