Dubai has introduced a brand-new system that makes it easier for people to know whether something was created by a human, a machine, or a mix of both. This includes things we see every day, such as articles, online images and videos or research studies and academic papers.
Approved by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the system is the first of its kind in the world. It’s called the Human-Machine Collaboration (HMC) classification system and was developed by the DFF.
With new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), automation tools and robotics becoming more common, it’s getting harder to tell whether a human or a machine made something. This system helps make that clearer.
The HMC system uses simple icons to show who, or what, helped make the content. Here are the five main categories:
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All Human: Made fully by a person, with no help from machines.
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Human Led: A person created it, and a machine helped by checking or improving it.
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Machine Assisted: Humans and machines worked together to create it.
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Machine Led: A machine mostly made it, with a person checking the result.
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All Machine: The content was made entirely by a machine, with no human help.
There are also smaller icons that show what part of the work involved a machine, such as data collection, writing, translation or visuals and design.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said the goal is to increase transparency and responsible use of AI. He also asked all Dubai Government entities to start using the system right away. While the classification system does not assign exact percentages or weights to the contribution of the machine, it enables creators to disclose the involvement of AI transparently, acknowledging the fact that such evaluation often relies on personal judgement.
This new step supports Dubai’s vision of becoming a global leader in technology and innovation while protecting the value of human creativity. It also helps students, readers, and professionals understand the real source of the content they use or trust.
Anyone around the world can use the system, including writers, researchers, publishers, designers, and content creators. To learn more about the classification system or to download the icons, visit DFF's official website.