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Connect the World

Concerns over Potential Israeli Ground Operation In Rafah; Jordan King Abdullah Calling for Immediate Gaza Ceasefire; CIA Director In Cairo To Push For Hostage Deal; France Sanctions 23 Settlers Over Violence in West Bank; Senate passes $95 Billion Foreign Aid Bill With Funding for Ukraine; CBS: 123.4 Million Viewers Watched Super Bowl LVIII; Leader Gather In Dubai To refocus On Global Opportunities; Climate Tops Agenda As Gathering Tries to Build on COP28; Indonesia Election: Three Way Presidential Race Hinges on Young Voters; South Africa Makes "Urgent Request" to ICJ Regarding Israeli Military Action in Rafah; AI and Governance Center State At Global Gathering; Lionel Messi Could Play for Argentina At Paris Olympics. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired February 13, 2024 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:00:00]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: The world government summits where leaders are gathering to face and fix global challenges. That is, on

the left of the screen on the right, one of the world's most pressing issues the scene in the city of Rafah, as it braces for what some fear will

be a devastating Israeli ground invasion.

It is 4:00 p.m. in Gaza. It's 6:00 p.m. here in Dubai, I'm Becky Anderson. This is a special edition of "Connect the World."

The CIA director is meeting with Egyptian, Israeli and Qatari negotiators on the agenda, a new deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages

in Gaza and to secure a temporary truce.

And the most watched program in a generation, Super Bowl LVIII sets a record and it is not just down to what was an excellent game.

With Israel eyes are at Rafah for its next ground offensive. U.S. President Joe Biden is expressing concern. 1.3 million Palestinians are currently

hemmed in to this city. Joe Biden says Israel should not proceed with a full on ground invasion into Rafah without a credible plan to protect

civilians. But the IDF told CNN on Tuesday, it has yet to present such a plan to its own government.

U.S. President Joe Biden also says he discussed a potential hostage deal between Israel and Hamas with Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House on

Monday, which would include a six week pause in the fighting in Gaza. King Abdullah, however, has long been calling for a lasting ceasefire.

Meantime, as we speak, the CIA director is in Cairo. He is meeting with the head of Israel's intelligence agency Mossad and Qatar's Prime Minister

about the ongoing Gaza hostage negotiations.

CNN is on the ground, Nada Bashir is in Cairo, Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv, reporting on what we understand to be going on in Gaza. Of course, we

can't report from there, because no Western journalists are given access in.

So Jeremy, just from your perspective. Before we get to what is going on in Cairo, what do we understand to be the situation on the ground in Rafah as

we speak?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, yesterday, we saw the devastation from those Israeli strikes that were carried out in

coordination with that hostage rescue operation. And today, we're seeing the fear that emanated from those strikes continuing to play out on the

ground.

100 people from Rafah seen, beginning to try and evacuate that city on their own, fleeing to the central areas of Gaza where there are still, you

should note, ongoing air strikes, ongoing military activity. But the rampant concern that those, air strikes in Rafah caused is very apparent

and the concern of what more could come.

We saw, as, in just those few hours overnight as the Israeli military carried out air strikes. At least 94 people were killed according to the

Palestinian Ministry of Health there. Just an indication of what could come should an Israeli military offensive make its way to Rafah as Israel's

political leaders are vowing, with 1.4 million people densely packed into a city of normally 300,000.

And there are still no real good answers from the Israeli military about how they plan to carry forward with an evacuation of the civilian

population from Rafah, should they move forward with this planned military offensive there.

Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli military, saying that the, military has yet to present its plan to Israel's political leadership for

how to evacuate the population. Although, he did express his confidence in the military's ability to do so and to distinguish between fighters and

civilians. But, of course, we've seen all too frequently, the ways in which, that has -- the Israeli military has fallen well short of that

commitment.

So a lot of concern, a lot of concern from international parties as well, including the United States with President Biden saying that the this

military operation should not proceed without a credible plan to deal with the civilian population. His strongest comments on that to date.

[09:05:00]

ANDERSON: Let's just be quite clear about this then. The IDF has said they have not presented a plan to the Israeli government. Joe Biden says they

should not proceed without it.

Therefore, we can surmise at this point, that any full on ground assault without a plan, whatever that plan might look like, and it's over a million

people we're talking here, who who would need to be evacuated, this wouldn't have U.S. support. Jeremy, thank you for the time being.

Nada, let me get to you. The Qatari prime minister who has been heavily involved in negotiations or mediating, indirect negotiations between Israel

and Hamas for the release of these hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, and a truce -- a temporary truce at this point. Is in Cairo --

he's in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence. They are joined by the Israelis.

So what do we understand to be the current narrative coming out of here. Are we any closer to a compromise between era Israel and Hamas on a on a

plan, a plan that has been described as delusional by the Israelis at this point.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, look, Becky, there has been a lot of back and forth on this prolonged truce agreement. We've been hearing different

you from each side. But as we know, there have been intensive discussions behind this efforts by members of the international community and those

international partners heavily involved in those negotiations, trying to get some sort of deal on the table.

Now as you mentioned, the CIA director is in Cairo today. Expected to meet with the prime minster of Qatar as well as the chief director of Israeli's

intelligence agency. According to Egyptian state media that meeting has now began. The terms of that agreement, the framework, clearly, is something

that has been up in the air, up for debate over the last days and weeks.

You saw last week Hamas put forward a counter proposal that was dismissed by the Israeli government, by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,

but that would have seen, under the framework presented there, a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as well as the gradual release of

hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, three phases, each lasting 45 days.

And we heard yesterday from U.S. President Joe Biden, of course, somebody who has also been heavily involved in these negotiations. He has said that

he is pushing hard on the Israeli side to reach some sort of agreement. He has said that the key terms, the key necessities of that agreement are

currently on the table, but there are some gaps still.

And, of course, when we saw that counter proposal from Hamas, in response, U.S. Secretary State Anthony Blinken also said that there were some

nonstarter. So we have seen some back and forth. You'll remember, of course, last week -- at the end of last week, we did see a senior Hamas

delegation also in Cairo for talks with Egyptian intelligence officials.

Today, we have heard from a Hamas official telling CNN directly that Hamas stands ready to return to Cairo for a continuation of those talks if there

is progress today, if we do see some movement on those negotiations. But, of course, what is a point of primary concern right now is the situation in

Rafah.

As Jeremy mentioned, there are real concerns, real fears that if we do see a ground incursion, if we see the Israeli military pushing forward on the

ground into Rafah where some 1.5 million civilians, people are currently concentrated. That could scupper those negotiations.

We've heard from Hamas saying that they will not move forward with those talks and discussions if there is a ground offensive. We've heard very

critical comments even coming from some of Israel's staunchest allies and backers with regards to the situation In Rafah. So all eyes very much

focused on the situation there.

Of course, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have also been very vocal, saying that there will be grave consequences if indeed that ground offensive It takes

place. Egypt, of course, on its own part, very concerned about the security situation along its own border. We have seen Egypt now fortifying its side

of the Rafah border crossing, perhaps in preparation for this looming ground offensive and the potential ramifications of that.

Of course, we are still waiting for more details on the status of those talks on whether we will see those negotiations push forward. Again, these

are focused on a prolonged truce, not a ceasefire just yet. But the hope is that under the framework of this prolonged truce, which according to Biden,

could be at least 6 weeks long, a ceasefire could be negotiated. Becky?

ANDERSON: Joe Biden going further to suggest that if we -- you know, if a 6 week temporary truce at this point were negotiated that might give an

opportunity for something more sustained. All right. Thank you for that.

[09:10:00]

Some news that is just breaking. France sanctioning 28, quote, "extremist Israeli settlers" who it says committed violence against Palestinian

civilians in the West Bank, those settlers will be banned from entering France.

The French Foreign ministry called the violence unacceptable and said it's Israel's job to put a stop to it. Israeli human activists say 2023 was the

most violent year on record for settler attacks in the West Bank.

The U.S. Senate has passed a $95 billion foreign aid package that has funding for Ukraine and for Israel. It comes after a long night of speeches

and debates ending early this morning. The funding package passed with bipartisan support, although many Republicans opposed further aid for

Ukraine. Specifically, this sets up a showdown with the House's Speaker, Mike Johnson, who said the bill is dead on arrival.

Eva McKend following this, for us. What exactly do the House Republicans want to do with this bill in order to try and get it passed. Mike Johnson,

of course, the Speaker of the House says, it's dead on arrival.

EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, yeah, Becky. The short answer is, they want to do nothing with this bill. House speaker

has, indicated that he has no appetite to advance this bill. He argues that national security begins at our border and that this is not the appropriate

time to address foreign aid. That, we have to address domestic priorities first.

The problem, of course, with this argument is that there was a bipartisan deal in the Senate that included many of the border provisions that both

the speaker and other Republicans championed. But former president Donald Trump put cold water on that deal, really telegraphing that he wants to

campaign on this border issue, and that is what ultimately stymied this process.

Now there is a rare procedural mechanism that could allow some House Republicans to band together with Democrats to try to advance this bill in

the House, but that is a lengthy cumbersome process, and there's no indication as yet that some House Republicans would sort of defect from the

speaker, defect from Trump, work with Democrats to pass this behemoth foreign aid package.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.

I want to turn to the Super Bowl television ratings, because they are in, and the numbers are enormous. More than a 123 million viewers in the United

States alone watched the Kansas City Chiefs' overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers. That is a Super Bowl record. The game, now the second most

watched TV program in U.S. history, eclipsed only by the 1969 Apollo moon landing.

Let's bring in, Carolyn Manno. The attendance of a certain pop icon at that game coincided with this year's bumper ratings. I don't think anybody

should be should be surprised that Americans watch NFL on telly. They watch in huge numbers week in, week out. But these numbers Are quite

extraordinary.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: They are, Becky. And Taylor Swift has added an extra dimension to this where she's drawn in young girls,

young women who might not necessarily be paying attention to the game, all kinds of different people who really weren't as aware of the NFL, and the

fact that the Super Bowl is as massive as it is.

But if you think about this event just singularly, it is an amalgamation of entertainment and sports. And the current zeitgeist of the current year

where the Super Bowl is being held, and she was so present this entire year that we knew going in it was going to eclipse any previous records just

because it felt that much bigger. It was in Las Vegas For the first time, bringing in an estimated $600 million of revenue to the city, which might

even be on the low end.

Listen to Patrick Mahomes. He spoke with our Abby Phillip about what it has been like to have a superstar like Taylor Swift in the fold for this

incredible run.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MAHOMES, THREE TIME SUPER BOWL MVP: I think it's been cool, honestly. It's been extremely cool. I mean, to see the support that comes

with the Swifties and how they how they really embraced us and Chase Kingdom, and they kind of combine together. I'm all about growing football.

And Taylor's a great role model of someone who does -- is great at her profession, and I'm glad that she loves football as much as everybody else

now.

We used to be able to bring girls and their fathers together. I think it's special. It really is special. And, my daughter, obviously, loves football

and loves watching it. But I want to other girls around the world or whoever to really watch it with their family and watch football and really

see how great the sport is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:15:00]

MANNO: 8 million more people, Becky, watched than last year. And if you look at the rest of the top ten here, these are all Super Bowls, all 9 of

those games occurring after the year 2010. So to your exact point, the NFL is an unstoppable machine. It's on a run that doesn't seem to be slowing

down anytime soon, and it just It delivered without question.

You think about Las Vegas, which is a city that has a sports landscape that's rapidly Changing as well. You've got the Vegas Golden Knights. The

WNBA is there. Baseball is coming there. You've got an NFL team there. So it was a tremendous moment of pride you for those who live in Las Vegas,

which is normally a very popular place, around Super Bowl time. So it was a Slam dunk. It was a home run, however you want to call it. I mean, Usher at

halftime. All of the stars aligning for the biggest star on the planet right now, at least here stateside, and that's Taylor Swift.

ANDERSON: Yeah. Fascinating. All right. Thank you for that.

Well, head on "Connect the World," some of the most influential people in the world are gathered here in Dubai with one thing on the mind, the

climate crisis. We'll explain that up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Let me explain why we are here at the World Government Summit in Dubai, a place where more than 25 world leaders and a 140 governments are

meeting to focus on global development, in a world often distracted from the path of progress by the threat of destruction.

In his opening address, the UAE's minister of cabinet affairs and the chairman of this event, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi said $17 trillion was

lost to conflict in the past year. A massive number, but understandable, when you consider the conflicts raging in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan to name

quite a few.

And let's be clear, an end to war is necessary to achieve the goals of this conference, because a fraction of that 17 trillion, WGS Chairman Al Gergawi

argues, could cover the cost of fixing problems that affect our lives, like hunger, illiteracy, and cancer.

That's what this event is trying to achieve, a refocus on the world's important challenges and opportunities like artificial intelligence,

sustainability, education, global health, and we are here to keep you informed about the solutions these leaders are addressing.

Some of which they're finding collective climate action, public and private money working together. That is an ambitious the solutions these leaders,

Are addressing, some of which they're finding, collective climate action, public and private money working together. That is an ambitious Ask here in

Dubai at the World Government's Summit.

Some of the most influential leaders have been, telling me that they are trying to build on the COP28 Summit, which, of course, was also held here

at the end of last year. And for the first time, We are hearing new language on fossil fuels from COP28's president. Have a listen.

[09:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SULTAN AHMED AL JABER, PRESIDENT COP28 2023: We believe in the transition. We embraced the transition before anyone else, and we invested 100 of

billions of dollars in the transition. And will continue to do so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, the naysayers will say it was a, you know, it was a phasing down, not phasing out, of course, to which you say what?

AL JABER: Again, the transition will happen in different places and different places. Whether it's -- we have to accept the fact that the world

today -- today consumes not less than 275 million barrels of oil equivalent. With this transition, we understand that the only source of

energy that will increase over time will have to be the least carbon intensive and renewable energy. And that's why for the first time, again, a

comprehensive agreement came out of a COP with a very clear target of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: COP28 has been flying the flag for what's being called the COP presidency's troika, uniting the UAE with the next 2 COP presidencies,

Azerbaijan and Brazil. Now the idea here is to put more strength, more heft behind what's known as the road map to mission 1.5 degrees Celsius.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON STIELL, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, U.N. FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE: Right now, we cannot rest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

STIELL: With all that was achieved, it is never enough. We have to now build on that. And Minister Babayev and the team, have their work cut out

for them with support. And an innovation that we're bringing is this troika. So to build on the energy and the momentum coming out of Dubai

together with the delivery responsibility right now of the Azerbaijani, presidency, but then Brazil and their energy that they are bringing forward

and how the 3 presidencies can work together to land 1.5 --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Without putting a dam there on the kind of lens of optimism Yeah. I mean, you're convinced that -- and we talked to Dr. Sultan

at the outset here about what needs to happen now to keep 1.5 degrees centigrade within reach. You're convinced we can do that, are you?

STIELL: We have no choice. That's the fundamental reality. There is no choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: We won't be surprised to learn that money is key to getting this ensemble effort off the ground as laid out by some of the summit panelists.

Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: We have to pull together virtually all hands on deck. There is a role for the

public sector. There's a role for international institutions like the Fund, there is a role for the private sector. And only when we think collectively

how to combine these roles, we can be successful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Let's see. Head of the IMF there. More than 200 million people are expected to vote in Indonesia's general election on Wednesday. What's

been dubbed the world's biggest election day, will decide the country's new president.

The race is between a former army general and 2 former governors. CNN's, Anna Coren explains why young voters could cast, the deciding votes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Military hard man or cuddly grandfather? 72 year old Prabowo Subianto is shaking the stigma

of alleged human rights abuses in an effort to win Indonesia's general election at his third time of trying.

ANDREAS HARSONO, SENIOR INDONESIA RESEARCHER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Of course, it is a concern for human rights defenders like me, but at the end

of the day, it depends on the focus.

COREN (voice over): Prabowo is accused of the kidnap and disappearance of democracy activists in the 1990s, as well as abuses against ethnic

minorities in East Timor and West Papua, all while he served as a special forces commander under Former Dictator, Suharto. Prabowo denies those

accusations. Few would deny the effectiveness of his cartoon rebrand.

HARSONO: With sophisticated image making, With PR companies, influencers, and, of course, political muscle, and the most important is the backing of

President Jokowi, he keeps on moving. He's not the frontrunner.

COREN (voice over): Prabowo was hoping to score 50 percent of the vote on Wednesday when Indonesians go to the polls. That would avoid a runoff and

make him Indonesia's next President, after losing to the country's outgoing leader, Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, at the past two elections. This time

may well be different. Thanks in part to a slick social media campaign targeting Indonesia's youth vote.

[09:25:00]

FUZAN HABIB, SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNER FOR PRABOWO SUBIANTO (via translator): The Gamoy [ph] dance is quite viral because it was introduced and even done

by Mr. Prabowo himself. And it turns out, the public loves it. As it seems, Nowadays, people prefer a happy campaign model, which includes dancing.

COREN (voice over): Over half of the country's huge electorate of 200 million registered voters are either millennials or Gen Z. But that means

Prabowo isn't the only candidate focused on youth.

His rivals in the 3 horse race, Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, have also made big plays at younger voters.

NURUL HIDAYAH, ANIES BASWEDAN SUPPORTER (via translator): It's so fun. It doesn't feel like a presidential election. I'm also a K-pop fan, so events

like this are great for me.

COREN (voice over): Anies, a former governor of Jakarta, has leaned into the K-pop craze, while Ganjar has the most TikTok followers of all 3.

Perhaps more importantly, Prabowo is being seen by many Indonesian voters as the continuity candidate.

Jokowi's eldest son, 36 year old Gibran Rakabuming Raka is running for vice president on Prabowo's ticket. This presidential election has often seen

style put over substance. Whoever does win must immediately begin to tackle the issues voters care about, from cost of living to the environment.

Anna Coren, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, coming up next, OpenAi CEO Sam Altman calling for a global regulatory body for artificial intelligence. I'm going to speak to the AI

minister from this country, one that could lead that charge. That is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]

ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Dubai back with you. I'm concentrating. Breaking news just coming into CNN. South Africa has made an

urgent request to the International Court of Justice over Israel's military action in Rafah.

Now the South African government wants the ICJ to decide if it can use its power to prevent what it calls, further imminent breach of the rights of

Palestinians in Gaza. In its request to the court, South Africa says it's gravely concerned Israeli military action in Rafah will result in further

large scale killing and destruction. More on that as we get it. That's your breaking news for you, just coming into CNN.

Right. We are in Dubai where policymakers and global leaders meeting here at the World Government Summit to come up with innovative solutions to some

of the world's biggest challenges and opportunities, it has to be said, from sustainability to education and economic stability. These are the

issues that, of course, keep world leaders up at night.

But it's artificial intelligence that has emerged as a very big talker at this year's gathering. You got the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, and the Head

of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang, here to name but a few. Earlier today, Altman called for a global regulatory body to oversee AI, and he said the UAE is

well positioned to be a leader in that space.

Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

But we are going to need, I believe at some point, some sort of a global system. The example that I've given in the past is the IAEA, the

International Atomic Energy Agency, for what happens with the most powerful of these systems, because they will have truly global impact.

And what sort of auditing, what sort of safety measures do we want in place before you can deploy, like a superintelligence or, you know, however you

want to call an AGI. And I think for a bunch of reasons, the UAE would be so well set up to be a leader in the discussions around that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, I'm pleased to have the UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Omar Al Olama, here with me.

Today, Sam Altman extending, you know, an opportunity for the UAE to take a real platform in, I guess, providing some solutions around the concerns

people have around AI. So let's just talk about this. Because you and I have been talking about this for some time.

This is not the first time that I've heard, the sort of IEA (sic) used as a sort of example how of how an international body might help to provide some

guardrails. You've been thinking about this, talking about this. You know, I'm sure at times you've lost some sleep over this. Where are you at on

your thinking when it comes to regulation?

OMAR AL OLAMA, UAE MINSTER OF STATE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: So to be honest, the UAE is, involved in many of the conversations, whether it's the

UN conversation or the World Economic Forum conversation all the G20 conversations. Well, we're part of all of these dialogues. The challenge is

unless you have enforceability, regulation means nothing. Right?

I think Sam is trying to say that we need to have a global company or heads of state come together and talk about how can we enforce the regulations

that are put in place, How can we make sure that the regulations are actually fit for purpose, and how can we do something that is not a blanket

approach of regulating everything under the sun what's called artificial intelligence, but actually protecting people in the right manner. I think

we would do that, hopefully, together.

ANDERSON: Yeah. And you -- and you've you're way past back of an envelope your thinking at this point. But what does this look like practically at

this point?

AL OLAMA: So the IAEA example is a great example. I think another good example that maybe I'm thinking about is something like the FIFA example

where you have local regulation, then you have a regional kind of body that oversees the regional implementation of artificial intelligence, and then

maybe a global, set of bodies that oversee the global, process there, because you need to have autonomy.

You want countries to have their own sovereignty. You want each region to represent themselves in the right way. So there are different models. I

don't think there's a cut and paste model, whether it's the IAEA or the FIFA model, but there are certain elements that we can take from both.

ANDERSON: You spoke yesterday to the CEO of NVIDIA about the cost of producing the systems that run artificial intelligence, these are known as

GPUs. Here's what he said about that cost.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENSEN HUANG, CEO, NVIDIA: We put accelerated computing or high performance computing in the hands of every single researcher in the world. And so when

we accelerate the rate of innovation, we're democratizing the technology. The cost of building, purchasing a supercomputer today is really

negligible. And the reason for that is because we're making it faster and faster and faster. Whatever performance you need costs a lot less today

than it used to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:35:00]

ANDERSON: You started by suggesting you had 7 trillion to spend, just how many GPUs can you get for that.

I want to just step back for a moment. Just explain to our viewers what GPUs are, if you will, and why it is that this conversation about cost at

this point is so important?

AL OLAMA: So GPUs are graphic processing units. And the thing is GPUs were created to train or to run video games initially. That's why NVIDIA is the

world leader because they created video chips. And then they realized that these chips can be used to train artificial intelligence models on, and it

can be done very, very effectively.

Today, there is a supply crunch. There's a huge demand for these GPUs. The UAE has been on the cutting edge of, so we've really been investing in the

sector. And for example, the UAE had found the global foundries as well in the U.S. and many other players in this domain. We've been very serious

about it. I think our seriousness for this domain is now being seen and taken seriously, and the world sees the UAE as a leader, whether it's in

compute capabilities or even AI deployment.

ANDERSON: You haven't got 7 trillion to offer NVIDIA for GPUs --

AL OLAMA: No, no, that was a joke. Because there was an article that said that Sam Altman is raising 7 trillion from the UAE. So I just want to take

a stab at him. This is a joke.

ANDERSON: I wanted to set the record straight on that. You've used the term authentic ignorance when it comes to people's sort of sense of

understanding of AI. And you're not being rude when you use this term ignorance. Authentic ignorance, I think, is a useful term here. What are

the great mysteries and concern about the impact of AI at this point?

AL OLAMA: So, there is a lot of hype, there's a lot of drama. There's a lot things that are being said when AI is being discussed. Authentic ignorance

is, when someone is flooded with so much information, and most of it negative about artificial intelligence. Typically, the situation is I do

not want to touch it, I don't want to go anywhere near it.

The first thing that hits people is when you see that anything's artificial, usually feel like it's bad. Artificial sweetener, artificial

meat, artificial intelligence. So I think there's a lot of stigma. We need to move beyond the ignorance to actually understanding what this technology

can do and cannot do and how we can utilize it in the best way possible.

ANDERSON: How are you utilizing it here in the UAE briefly?

AL OLAMA: So two things. First, most government officials of UAE went through a 1 year program with the University of Oxford. 400 government

officials have gone through that program already. So they are all AI experts.

ANDERSON: 400?

AL OLAMA: 400. The second is we've trained over a 180,000 people from the public to understand what AI is, to take them into AI literacy, to be able

to understand how to utilize it in the best way possible.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. We're running out of time. It's good to have you. You and I will continue this discussion off air and again on air at some

later point. But the conversations here are fantastic. You and I talked about AI here this time last year when we were talking about ChatGPT. We

have moved so far ahead. And I think, you know, there is some -- you know, there is authentic ignorance out there. There is also a lot more

understanding, I think, about where we are at and where we are headed. Thank you for joining us.

A big decision looming for Lionel Messi. Will the football icon play for Argentina at the Paris Olympics this summer? That is next in sport.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: Well, the Summer Olympics in Paris are on track to start on the 26th July. While many athletes confirm they will be attending, some are

still thinking about it.

For football fans, it's a burning question whether Lionel Messi will be going to France. Amanda Davies, talking to her sources, working this story.

Joining me now, do we know?

AMANDA DAVIES CNN WORLD SPORT: We don't know. What I can tell you, Becky, is that he's been issued an open invitation from the coach of the

Argentinian under 23 team, Javier Mascherano, a former teammate, of course, of Leo Messi saying, You are more than welcome. Perhaps not surprising,

every team that qualifies at the Olympics is allowed 3 players over the age of 23. It is ultimately an under 23 tournament.

Messi, 36 Years of age, his team have said to me, as things stand, they haven't discussed it. He said he does want to take part in the Copa America

for Argentina, that's taking part in the United States from mid-June until mid-July. It's also, midway through the MLS season, and then there's only a

2 week break until the start of the Olympics. So it would be quite something.

But who's going to turn down an opportunity for an Olympic gold medal? If you get the chance and you can fit it in your schedule. Messi does already

have one in his trophy cabinet, he was part of the team that won gold in Beijing in 2008. It does seem a lot for him, but, certainly, the door has

been open, and his team would welcome him with open arms.

ANDERSON: I'm sure. Absolutely. So would be the, watching public. Of course. Amanda's back with "World Sport." After this, short break, I'm back

for you at the top of the hour. Stay with us.

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[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

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