UAE Set to Become First in World to Write Laws With AI

The UAE just flipped the legislative playbook on its head, and it didn’t need a parliamentary debate to do it. With a slick pivot from petrodollars to digital prowess, the Emirates is handing over the lawmaking baton to artificial intelligence. Yeah, you heard that right. We're not talking about AI crunching case law in the background; we're talking AI writing the actual laws. In April 2025, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum lit up X (formerly Twitter) with the announcement: the UAE will use AI to develop, monitor, and suggest changes to legislation, through a brand-new Regulatory Intelligence Office. This isn’t a gimmick; it’s a calculated leap into the future of governance.

From Black Gold to Binary Code

Let’s rewind for a sec:

• 1971: UAE founded, riding the oil wave.
• 2017: Appoints world’s first Minister of State for AI.
• 2024: Abu Dhabi launches MGX, a dedicated AI investment vehicle, backing a $300 billion BlackRock AI infrastructure fund.

Fast-forward to today, and AI isn’t just a side hustle for the UAE government, it’s the main event. The new ecosystem will:

• Analyze the Impact of Laws: Track the daily effect of laws on the population and economy using large-scale data.
• Recommend Updates and Reforms: Suggest changes to legislation based on data-driven insights.
• Create a Centralized Legislative Map: Link all federal and local laws with judicial rulings, executive procedures, and public services.
• Benchmark Against International Standards: Connect to global research centers to align UAE laws with best practices.

Sheikh Mohammed summed it up as a "paradigm shift" toward smarter, faster, and more precise governance. According to the UAE cabinet, the new technology should fast-track the legislative process by up to 70%.

The Agentic AI in the Legislative Machine

So how does it work? AI will track the impact of laws daily, use analytics to recommend reforms, and build a centralized legislative knowledge base. But here's where things start to sizzle: we're inching toward Agentic AI. Agentic AI isn’t your average chatbot. It sets goals, makes plans, and takes action with little human input. Imagine a system that doesn’t just assist in writing laws, but could one day propose, refine, and maybe even lobby for them. That’s not just AI. That’s Skynet in a three-piece suit.

The Skeptics Weigh In

Let’s not pretend it’s all smooth sailing:

• Data Quality and Bias: As the old saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out." If the AI is trained on biased or incomplete data, it could lead to discriminatory or unfair laws. 
• Lack of Transparency: How will citizens hold the AI accountable if they can't understand how it arrived at its decisions? 
• Ethical Considerations: Can a machine truly understand the nuances of human values and ethics? Can it balance competing interests and make fair judgments? 
• The "Weirdness" Factor: As one computer scientist put it, the AI could propose something "really, really weird" that "makes sense to a machine" but "may make no sense to implement it out there for real in a human society."

Oxford University researchers flagged reliability issues like hallucinations and interpretive errors, a real buzzkill in any courtroom.

Global Lawmakers Are Dipping Their Toes

The UAE might be going full throttle, but other countries are test-driving similar ideas:

• The US Congress is experimenting with AI for research and policy drafting.
• Brazil passed the first AI-written municipal law back in 2023.
• Law firms are ramping up AI task forces to stay ahead of the curve.

It’s clear this isn’t a regional novelty, it’s a global wave.

The AI Future Is No Joke

The UAE’s AI gambit isn’t just bold, it’s historic. Whether it revolutionizes governance or backfires in bureaucratic mayhem is still up for debate. But as AI systems become co-authors of law, one thing is certain: the legal and accounting professions need to upskill, fast. As Bloomberg Law warns, professionals must navigate AI risks, biases, and evolving compliance. Agentic AI might not be lobbying yet, but its fingerprints are all over the first drafts. To all the tax professionals, lawyers, and regulators watching this space: keep your calculators handy and your ethics guides closer. Governance just got a digital upgrade, and the implications are more tangled than a blockchain tax code. Stay ahead of tax and finance trends, subscribe to MYCPE ONE Insights for weekly updates, expert analysis, and must-know policy changes.