ABU DHABI (WAM)
startAD, the Abu Dhabi-based startup accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), has launched the AI Adoption Barometer, developed through its AI for Good initiative with support from Google.org.
Drawing on insights from 52 UAE-based organisations, the Barometer is the first practitioner-informed snapshot of how organisations across healthcare and social impact sectors are adopting artificial intelligence in practice.
While enthusiasm for AI continues to grow, many organisations are seeking practical guidance on how to translate it into effective adoption. Key priorities include identifying meaningful use cases, establishing governance frameworks, allocating resources effectively, and implementing solutions responsibly. Equally important is defining clear metrics to measure performance and impact, and ensuring successful use cases can be systematically scaled from individual projects into broader organisational adoption.
In healthcare, 81 percent of organisations surveyed have defined AI use cases, and 58 percent are already piloting or deploying solutions. Yet 42 percent report having no dedicated AI budget, a gap that reveals the distance between momentum and readiness.
In the social impact sector, the challenge is more foundational, with many institutions still working to define use cases and build the internal capacity needed for responsible adoption.
To help close that gap, startAD has also launched two implementation playbooks. The AI Use Case Discovery Playbook helps organisations turn a vague idea into a testable AI use case, with no technical background required. The Evaluate and Pilot AI Solutions Playbook guides teams through assessing, selecting, and running a responsible pilot within their existing operations.
Both are available through the new startAD AI Resource Hub, alongside the AI Adoption Barometer, which organisations can download and use as a benchmarking reference and decision-support tool.
Ashwin Joshi, Director of startAD, said, “AI for Good was created to help mission-driven organisations move from interest in AI to practical adoption. One of the clearest needs that emerged from our work was for practical, step-by-step implementable, accessible guidance – tools that meet organisations where they are and help them move forward responsibly and realistically.”
Anthony Nakache, Managing Director of Google MENA, said, “While AI may seem complex, we are convinced that healthcare organisations can embrace it. This project challenges the assumption that meaningful AI requires massive financial resources or specialised technical proficiency.
"Being part of Google’s regional AI Opportunity Initiative, Google.org’s support to startAD is designed to improve healthcare accessibility for disadvantaged communities across the UAE.”
To date, the AI for Good programme has engaged five organisations through 13 AI readiness workshops, delivered a 43 percent overall increase in AI readiness, and mobilised close to 200 university students and solution builders across the UAE, KSA, and the wider MENA region.