Omar Al Olama

Back in 2017, AI was still in its infancy. But one ­country—the UAE—had the foresight to establish a Minister for Artificial Intelligence, naming Omar Al Olama to the position. Though only 27, Omar quickly made the UAE a significant player in this critically important field. As Minister, he has served the interests of not just the UAE, but of the world. Shaping his work—­including at the World Governments Summit, which he helps lead—is his core belief that AI, if governed with care, can exponentially amplify global efforts to solve the most significant challenges facing humanity.

Somehow, he also finds time to run the Digital School, which provides online schooling for 160,000 students across refugee camps and rural villages in more than 13 countries. On top of all this, he plays a mean game of ping-pong! 

In everything he does, Omar plays to win, which is why I’m so inspired by his determination to make the world a better place. Omar’s unique mixture of vision, commitment, compassion, charm, and smarts sets him apart as he sets the standards for our AI future.

Katzenberg is an Oscar-winning producer and founding partner of WndrCo