G42 joins Nvidia’s alliance for open-source AI

G42 joined Nvidia’s Open Secure AI Alliance, a new group backing open-weight and open-source AI models and cybersecurity tools, the Abu Dhabi AI firm said on X. The alliance’s inaugural members include Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Cloudflare, CrowdStrike, Hugging Face, Palantir, Salesforce, Siemens, and SpaceXAI, according to an Nvidia statement.

Why it matters: G42 is backing Nvidia’s push to make AI security tools more open and less dependent on systems controlled by a few providers, with chief executive Peng Xiao saying open models are needed alongside closed ones, with “security, trust and sovereign control” built in from the start. So far, open AI models have mainly been produced by Chinese companies, with US firms often opting for more closed-source options.

The plan: The alliance plans to share tools that help cyber teams find vulnerabilities, test AI agents, and run defensive models on their own infrastructure — a useful pitch for governments and companies dealing with sensitive systems.

The timing is not random: Nvidia launched the alliance after a recent cybersecurity incident at Hugging Face, arguing that defenders need AI tools they can inspect, adapt, and run themselves when speed matters. While the company says open systems can be misused, it maintains that the solution is stronger safeguards and evaluation rather than blanket restrictions on open frontier AI.

It follows a string of other victories for the UAE’s AI ambitions: The US recently upgraded the UAE’s export status, opening the door for approved companies including G42 and Core42 to buy advanced chips and other sensitive US tech. Foreign Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi previously said the UAE is moving faster than planned on its USD 1.4 tn US investment pledge and expects US chip imports “very soon,” with deliveries headed to UAE-US projects including the planned 5 GW data-center complex in Abu Dhabi.

G42’s own securing of advanced chips was contingent on security measures, with requirements including divesting from Huawei and severing ties with Chinese tech firms to secure the partnership with the US, as well as chip exports.