Alexandr Wang, the founder of the increasingly powerful tech firm Scale AI, will not be apologising for his company's contracts with the US military.
Mr Wang's start-up, which trains artificial intelligence applications, already boasts some of the world's biggest technology giants as its clients, including Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI. It also works with the US Air Force and US Army.
Other tech firms have faced criticism for working with the military, but Mr Wang, who became the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 2022 at the age of 25, has no such concerns.
“We’re at the brink of this incredibly powerful new technology, and the applications for national security are obvious," Mr Wang said during a discussion at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. "It’s going to be imperative for the US to stay ahead."
Mr Wang grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, famed for housing Robert Oppenheimer's development of the atomic bomb through the Manhattan Project during the Second World War. It was this Los Alamos upbringing that led Mr Wang to believe it’s a moral imperative for AI companies to work with the military, he said.
A visit to China, where he saw AI companies working on facial recognition and surveillance, bolstered the entrepreneur's belief that Scale AI should work with US defence entities.
“At that moment it was clear for me that the US would need to have the highest quality human capital and the best companies focused on this problem,” he said, referring to national security.
Mr Wang acknowledged there had been some fallout in the years since his decision. There was initial pushback from investors, and some employees resigned fearing the stigma that might come from working with the military.
“Knowing about the history of where I grew up, and the impact that Los Alamos and the Manhattan Project had on Pax Americana and the global order, it felt so clear that great AI technology needs to be applied to national security problems," he added, also not shying away from his warnings about China's goals with AI.
"The CCP has had an AI master plan," he said. "They've discussed the need to win on the sort of implementation and proliferation of this technology throughout their military."
Scale AI’s footprint continues to grow as buzz surrounding the self-described "data-centric end-to-end solution" AI infrastructure company shows no sign of slowing.
Essentially, if a company needs reliable and well-organised data to help create a large language model for just about anything, Scale AI has become the go-to experts.
Mr Wang founded Scale AI in 2016 shortly after dropping out of MIT when he saw AI developments creating the need for ways to label, curate and manage high quality training data for both technology companies and other large businesses.
That proved to be a wise bet.
As of 2025, it now has more than 900 employees and secured at least $1.3 billion in financing, resulting in a $13.8 billion valuation.
Few companies in the world currently have the equivalent of Scale AI’s defence and commercial portfolio. The rapid ascent of Scale AI has also put Mr Wang in the rarefied air of AI tech entrepreneurs and celebrities such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
He has graced the cover of magazines, testified before Congress and is increasingly sought after for interviews.
His comments about “agentic warfare” and “lethality deterrence” at CSIS in Washington came in the context of a question from interviewer Gregory Allen, who previously worked at the Pentagon.
Mr Allen asked about Google’s decision in 2018 to pull out of a military initiative called Project Maven, which sought to use technology to enhance military and weapons systems.
Some critiqued Google at the time for joining the project, accusing it of profiting from potential wars and conflicts. Yet Mr Wang decided to pivot his company to such research.
“One core belief I have is that over time, rationality prevails,” Mr Wang explained, adding that in his view the AI applications for national security were “very obvious” and therefore necessary to assist with.
Mr Wang’s defence of Scale AI’s military work comes as other companies like Microsoft have faced criticism for making similar moves.
In April, Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's head of artificial intelligence, was interrupted by an employee who criticised the company for having contracts with the Israeli military.
“Stop using AI for genocide, Mustafa. Stop using AI for genocide in our region … 50,000 people have died. You have blood on your hands,” said the protester at an anniversary event on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington state.
The employee and several others were later fired, but consternations from some inside the company have remained.
There’s no sign that fears of demonstrations or similar backlash have impacted Mr Wang’s business decisions.
In January, he also surprised some by writing a congratulatory letter to recently elected US President Donald Trump, offering some thoughts about how the US should proceed with AI compared with other countries.
“China’s government outspends our government by about 10 times on AI implementation and adoption,” he wrote, urging President Trump to increase American AI investment.
He also suggested the US should prepare for the vast amounts of energy that AI infrastructure would require, and to not stifle AI innovation through regulations.
“Attracting the best technology companies to flourish in America relies on the right regulatory framework,” he said.
During Thursday's CSIS event, Mr Wang also wasn’t shy about critiquing export policies that limit US AI chip exports to various countries, while also acknowledging the complexity of the issue that some say is key to maintaining US technology leadership.
He said AI developments from Chinese companies like DeepSeek and Huawei show chip export enforcement can only go so far.
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
