US company IBM has announced the general availability of its new generative artificial intelligence governance tool from December 5, as it pushes forward with its AI ambitions.
Called watsonx.governance, the new technology will be offered globally as a SaaS (software-as-a-service) model through IBM cloud, where users can subscribe to remote-hosted applications per their business needs.
The tool will help businesses eliminate mystery around the data and also meet regulatory requirements related to the new technology, IBM said.
Generative AI, which is powered by large language models, has the potential to transform the way companies and people work.
Businesses are using a mix of LLMs from their own in-house research, third-party tech providers and open source communities to reap the full benefits of technology.
But it also poses new risks and complexities, including training data scraped from corners of the internet that cannot be validated as fair and accurate, and sometimes it also lacks explainable outputs.
Watsonx.governance aims to “provide organisations a toolkit to manage risk, embrace transparency, and anticipate compliance with future AI-focused regulation”, IBM said in a media roundtable.
Besides mitigating biases, it will also enable them to manage, monitor and govern AI models from wherever they choose.
It involves making the generative AI process transparent and understandable to ensure there are no hidden or unclear aspects about how the data is being handled and used, IBM said.
The new tool is one of three software products in the IBM watsonx AI and data platform that was originally launched in July.
Since then “thousands of pilots and experiments are being executed on the watsonx platform”, said Ana Paula Assis, IBM’s general manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa, who did not disclose the exact number of users thus far.
“The platform is quite new, but we are seeing tremendous amount of interest,” Ms Assis said.
“Good AI is governed AI … our new solution introduces metrics [within the platform] that are associated with the quality of AI models … [it] defines the levels of threshold and the moment that threshold is crossed, an alert goes to the owner of the use cases to take an immediate action.”
Currently, the development of generative AI technology is concentrated within a handful of large companies based in the US, the world’s largest economy.
Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard are two front-runners in the burgeoning field. In September, the Abu Dhabi government-supported research centre the Technology Innovation Institute launched Falcon 180B – an advanced version of its flagship language model – to boost generative AI capabilities in the region.
“Having an understanding of what is there in your data, its quality … and being transparent about the whole process is very important,” Christina Montgomery, IBM’s chief privacy and trust officer, told the roundtable.
“Our new model can govern any AI model whether it is made by businesses themselves or by [the] third parties. While making this model, we have ensured that human oversight always remains a critical element during all stages of governance.”
Generative AI could add nearly $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy and will transform productivity across sectors with continued investment in the technology, according to a new study by consultancy McKinsey.
It has “enormous” economic potential and could raise global labour productivity growth by more than one percentage point a year in the next decade, Goldman Sachs said in a report in July.
In the short term, AI investment could grow quickly in the next couple of years, approaching $100 billion in the US and $200 billion globally by 2025, the report added.
“Our new platform is for everyone using AI … whether a publicly listed company or a private firm … but I would say primarily it targets companies that work under stricter regulatory environment,” said Ms Assis.
In May, the company's chief executive Arvind Krishna said IBM expects to pause hiring for roles it thinks could be replaced with artificial intelligence in the coming years.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
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Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
MO
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
Palestine and Israel - live updates
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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