Smart Dubai’s artificial intelligence (AI) powered city concierge service ‘Rashid’ is set to be the official backbone of the Expo 2020 Dubai’s virtual assistant solution. Rashid’s services will be available in English and Arabic on Expo 2020’s official website and soon to-be-released mobile app. This initiative is in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai, Accenture – Expo’s official digital services partners – and Etisalat Digital.
Rashid can be accessed through any smart device, and will offer users all the information they need to know about Expo 2020 and the city of Dubai, including the likes of flight and hotel bookings. It is in line with the UAE’s plans to offer best-in-class services to visitors from around the world as it hosts the first World Expo to take place in the MEASA (Middle East, Africa and South Asia) region.
Expo 2020 visitors will also be able to use Rashid to gather information on shows & attractions, as well as to subscribe to newsletters or provide feedback.
Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, director general of Smart Dubai, underlined the importance of cooperation among entities in Dubai and across the UAE to ensure the success of Expo 2020 Dubai, ensure the city presents Expo 2020 in the best way possible to the millions of visitors expected to attend.
“We at Smart Dubai are committed to being a part of all international events hosted by the UAE and to playing an effective role in their success,” Bishr said. “This project will allow visitors to the event to witness, up close, the exceptional technologies and experiences that will make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world. They will also be able to benefit from the services and facilities that the city offers its residents and visitors across all sectors.”
“Expo 2020 is working closely with our official technology partners and providers to put together one of the world’s greatest showcases for the transformative power of AI. Expo’s virtual assistant solution will use Rashid’s AI technology to answer visitors’ frequently-asked questions and help our 30,000 volunteers to concentrate on enhancing the visitor experience,” added Mohammed Alhashmi, chief technology officer at Expo 2020 Dubai
Smart Dubai has introduced the new “Living in Dubai” feature to transform Rashid into the ultimate smart advisor for residents in and visitors to Dubai, granting them direct access to reliable information on various services and procedures they may need in everyday life, saving them time, effort and resources.
Rashid can process and analyse large volumes of information, or big data, at high speed to answer visitors’ questions accurately and fast. The application is designed to learn and autonomously develop and improve its service.