Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has written a personal letter to the next generation, urging young people to embrace artificial intelligence while holding on to their values, identity and humanity.
The message, titled “A Letter to the New Generation”, is part of his new book The Letters, the second volume in the Lessons from Life series. The book brings together 26 letters drawing on almost six decades of public service and is addressed to his children, family, team, fellow citizens and readers around the world.
“A letter to the generation that will lead change. To the generation that will write a new chapter in the history of the future. I dedicate this letter to you,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote.
Addressing young people as his sons, daughters and grandchildren, he reflected on how dramatically their world differs from the one in which his generation grew up.
Today’s young people can learn from experts overseas, collaborate with teams in other countries and access knowledge almost instantly, he wrote, describing a world in which technology has removed many of the geographical barriers that once limited learning and communication.
He identified artificial intelligence as one of the most powerful tools available to the new generation. “Your most powerful tool is the machine that thinks, proposes, writes, plans and executes,” he wrote.
But his message was not simply about technological progress.
Use new tools, keep old values
Sheikh Mohammed said young people have greater access to knowledge, technology and opportunities than previous generations, but cautioned against allowing convenience or rapid change to weaken character.
“Your tools are greater. Your capabilities are stronger,” he wrote. He contrasted the education of his generation, which he described as relying heavily on instruction, memorisation and repetition, with a modern approach centred on questioning, creativity and innovation.
He also pointed to the changing nature of work, noting that individuals can now use intelligent systems and algorithms to accomplish tasks that once required much larger teams.
Yet he said the ability to use powerful technology must be accompanied by equally strong principles. “My sons and grandchildren, wisdom is not for you to live with the minds of your fathers,” he wrote. “True wisdom is to live by their values, morals and principles.”
He listed honesty, trustworthiness, keeping promises, justice, tolerance, compassion and respect for others among the values that remain important regardless of technological or social change.
Sheikh Mohammed also addressed the challenge of maintaining cultural identity in an increasingly connected world. “Life has taught me that whoever abandons his roots has no foundation, whoever abandons his culture has no weight, and whoever abandons his values has no meaning in life,” he wrote.
He ended his message by expressing confidence in the generation that will inherit responsibility for the UAE. “My sons and grandchildren, we see in your eyes a new world, in your dreams a great renaissance and in your homeland your shoulders carrying it towards new heights,” he wrote. “Make your knowledge your weapon, your roots your strength, your ambitions your sky, and your values your compass.”
The book The Letters will be available in major UAE bookstores in Arabic from October 1, with the English edition due on October 15. It contains 26 letters reflecting on experiences, decisions and lessons from Sheikh Mohammed’s nearly six decades of public service. ICA/Expat Media
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