TRENDING

UAE Lowers Driving Age to 17: Benefits, Risks, and Implications The UAE has become the first country in the GCC to lower the minimum age to obtain a driving license to 17 (Saseendran). Previously, to hold a driving license for cars one had to be 18 years old. This is seen by some as a positive change as it grants teenagers more freedom and responsibility. Some 17 year olds are in university as well and having access to personal transportation can be important. Danger of Lowering the Driving Age There are fears associated with lowering the driving age. Critics believe that young drivers should not be on the road because they are not mature or responsible enough. Hence, the argument is that they are more likely to make riskier choices on the road which ultimately makes it a more dangerous environment for everyone. There are also statistics which seem to indicate that younger drivers are more likely to get into fatal crashes, however, it could just be the nature of driving which means that the newest drivers are more likely to have higher crash rates due their lack of experience (Habas). Therefore, it may not be indicative of an issue with 16 year old drivers but rather just that they are the newest drivers on the road. Those accidents could potentially be attributed to 18 year olds if the minimum driving age increased in the areas reported on. Cultural Reality What is important to note is that a lack of license does not stop many young drivers. Many people start driving before they get their license, and in remote areas the need for transportation means people start driving at quite a young age (Tesorero). Acknowledging this cultural reality is important because it means that legislation can be developed around it. Further, 25% of Dubai cases registered against minors in 2020 were related to underage driving (Al Amir). The facts show us that underage driving is still a prevalent problem. Moreover, although traffic deaths have reduced by two thirds due to tougher laws and pro-active policing, road accidents are still the leading cause of death of children in Abu Dhabi (Bhandari; Safety & Traffic Solutions Committee). By reducing the minimum age requirement, the UAE government is taking a proactive approach to ensuring that underage drivers have the appropriate education to make sure that they are not a danger to themselves or others on the road. This can help make the UAE’s roads safer as 17 year olds no longer need to illegally drive but can apply for their license and receive formal training. Examining the Debate Through a Different Content The different reactions to the decree-law center around whether there is an understanding of the reality of the situation. An acknowledgement of the fact that underage drivers exist and will continue driving without the required education is important to have an holistic understanding of how the topic should be tackled. Even if there were no underage drivers, there are arguments for lowering the minimum driving age. However, seeing as underage driving is an issue, it raises the question of whether the law should legislate for them or not. This same conflict can be seen when it comes to abortion rights. For instance, in 2022 when Roe v Wade was overturned in the US and the court held there was no constitutional right to abortion, several states adopted laws that limited access to abortions (Britannica). However, a study found that restricting abortion did not reduce abortion rates and that countries where abortion was broadly legal and countries where it was completely prohibited had similar abortion rates (Doucleff). The need for abortion does not vanish when abortion is made illegal, it just means that the routes to access abortion are not legal and can be unsafe. Hence, restricting abortions does not prevent it from happening but it does make it more unsafe. The WHO has found that when abortion is legal 90% of abortions happen safely, but when it is restricted then only 25% happen safely (Doucleff). Similarly, ignoring underage drivers in the UAE would not mean that they do not drive, and clearly the fact that it is illegal has not completely abolished the practice. Instead, regulating underage driving and ensuring that they are trained means that the drivers and everyone else will be safer. Class Implications In both driving and abortions, there are also class implications to consider. When it comes to underage driving, those who come from privileged backgrounds are more capable of paying the heavy fines. Similarly, when it comes to abortions, those seeking it in places where it is banned are likely to travel elsewhere where it is legal and this is more accessible to those who are wealthy. As a result, lowering the driving age in the UAE should be considered as the right move. It will help reduce traffic accidents by ensuring that underage drivers are able to apply for a license and will receive the necessary training. FAQs 1. What is Sav? Sav is a money-management app, allowing you to stick to your money goals, plan for the future, and spend confidently in the present.Your Sav card helps you meet your goals – just connect your bank account, top up your Sav card, choose goals you would like to set aside money for, and apply rules that automatically allocate funds toward your goals. The money set aside for your goals is safe. It is always available on your prepaid card and held with our partner financial institutions licensed by the CB UAE.You can use your Sav card to get additional rewards and cashbacks while spending. Check out our offer page to find the latest deals and promotions. 2. Is Sav a bank? No, ‘Sav Technologies Limited’ is a technology company registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai, UAE, with registration number # 5474. Through our banking partnership with Mashreq Bank, VISA and NymCard, we provide VISA prepaid cards. 3. Does Sav issue bank …

Should The Driving Age Be Lowered? Read More »

Alleged Competitive Disadvantage of the EU AI Act The European Parliament has approved the AI Act which is a comprehensive framework that attempts to address the risks that AI presents. While countries like the US and China have made some attempt at regulating AI, the EU’s AI Act goes further and is the world’s first set of binding requirements to mitigate AI risk. Enza Iannopolla, principal analyst at Forrester, believes that this would make the EU the standard for trustworthy AI and other countries would attempt to reach the same level (McCallum et al.). An important consideration for the EU is that while this legislation may be the leading of its kind, the US- followed by China- dominates when it comes to AI. While these regulations may promote trustworthy AI, there is also the risk that it would limit the creation of AI in Europe. The AI Act could create a competitive disadvantage for Europe as companies may be more inclined to develop in regions with less strict regulations and the regulations could limit European companies (Ditsche and Mikhaylenko). On the other hand, the regulations could also aid in increasing Europe’s soft power as the AI Act requires companies with generative AI tools to disclose the material they use to train their AIs (McCallum and Vallance). AI has gotten a bad reputation for using copyrighted material and the Act could improve the perception of AI amongst artists and generate goodwill towards the EU for tackling the problem. Leader in AI Regulation The EU wants to promote trustworthy AI and the AI Act allows them to do so while also placing themselves in an influential position which could generate AI activity in Europe. Regulating AI is not a new concept, although its implementation has been slow. For instance, in April, the UK and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to work together to test advanced AIs (UK Gov). The largest AI firms are cooperating with the idea of regulation, but the fact remains that till now regulators have not implemented any significant restrictions on the companies’ goals or asked for the data they use to train their AI (McMahon and Kleinman). The AI Act is meant to establish the EU as a leader at the forefront of AI, and it is succeeding as countries like the UK are recognizing the advancements the EU is making. This could be a sore point for the UK; they currently have more funding in AI safety than any other government but they have been overtaken by the EU for risk mitigation regulation (Vallance). Post-Brexit tensions still exist and considering a large motivator of leaving the EU was the ability to take back control, there may be pressure internally for the government to show that they are capable of outperforming the EU. The government wants to use their newfound freedom and create policy, but unless this is exercised in a way that places the UK in a comparable position to the EU when it comes to AI regulation, then perhaps the benefits of Brexit are not to be found in this area (Marshall and Goss). There was a study that showed that regions who were early in creating ideas in new scientific fields, had an innovation advantage in those fields over time. The study covered fields like AI, and found that the EU was significantly behind the US in terms of their innovation advantage (Filimonovic et al.) Considering the study set out that early leaders in scientific innovation had an advantage in technological innovation, it would perhaps take more than was reasonable for the EU to catch up to the US in the traditional way. By focusing on risk mitigation regulation, the EU is using considerably less resources and taking an unconventional route to lead the market. World’s Unicorn Capital The US is leading the field when it comes to AI and the EU is attempting to level it by introducing the AI Act. There are those who believe that the AI act will limit the EU’s advancement and place them at a competitive disadvantage. However, it needs to be kept in mind that the US is also attempting to regulate AIs. For instance, President Biden declared an executive order requiring data sharing from AI developers to the government (McCallum et al.). Senator Wiener in California even authored a bill that would introduce AI regulations but it faced opposition from tech companies and was blocked by Governor Newsom as he believed that it would reduce innovation and developers may move out of the state (Silva). These criticisms are the same as those that the EU AI Act has received, and they are not completely unfounded. For instance, OpenAI CEO Altman initially made threats on leaving the EU due to the planning of the AI Act as he believed it would be overregulation (McCallum and Vallance). Nevertheless, regulation is important especially considering what AI is capable of. For example, OpenAI has developed a voice cloning tool but made a decision not to release it due to the risks that it presents, particularly in election years. In fact, in January this year, a fake AI-generated robocall purportedly from President Biden asked voters to skip a primary election (McMahon and Kleinman). This may be why Governor Newsom has been signing other bills focusing on misinformation and deep fakes- his blocking of the AI safety bill did not mean that he does not understand the risks that AI presents (Silva). In conclusion, the EU’s AI Act may place them at a competitive disadvantage due to the regulations it enforces on AI developers, but it is clear that other countries have similar worries over the risks involved with AI. While others may be slower to regulate due to the concerns over hindering innovation, they will eventually need to and it could be beneficial to the EU to have a framework prepared and not be in a situation where the aforementioned risks do materialize and they can only legislate …

Alleged Competitive Disadvantage of the EU AI Act Read More »

Kemi Badenoch’s Fundamental Misunderstanding Maternity pay has “gone too far” according to Kemi Badenoch, who is running to be leader of the British Conservative Party. After experiencing severe backlash, she is now claiming that she was misrepresented and her comments were regarding cutting the regulatory burden on businesses (Francis). While Badenoch uses her status as a mother to showcase how she is a supporter of maternity pay, she seemingly fails to realize that reducing this burden on businesses would mean that statutory maternity pay is also reduced and so she is, in fact, advocating for reduced maternity pay. Excessive Function Of Tax Moreover, contrary to Badenoch’s belief that maternity pay is an excessive function of tax, statutory maternity pay is the only maternity pay that is legislated for- UK employment law does not give those pregnant any further rights regarding pay on maternity leave (UK Gov). The only way that this would be a burden on businesses is if none of their employees were ever pregnant due to potentially either discriminatory hiring practices or a toxic work culture and so the business would never be under an obligation to provide maternity pay. Further, the function of tax is to improve public infrastructure and unless one is against empowering women to remain in the workforce, improving infant health, and reducing symptoms of postpartum depression it seems inane to believe this is outside the remit of the British government which provides public healthcare (Maven). While Badenoch also believes that people need to have more personal responsibility, as she states there was a time when there was no maternity pay and people were having more babies, she needs to be more conscious of shifting societal norms and trends (Francis). As a society, we are moving into a time where ESG is becoming increasingly relevant and there is an expectation that companies support their employees. There is a financial burden associated with children and Britain’s falling fertility rate can likely be linked to austerity (Robinson). With the cost of living crisis and the fact that in 2023 UK was forecasted to be the only major economy to shrink, it is natural for people to be reluctant to grow their families and it is an example of them displaying personal responsibility. Accessible Entry Into The Workplace   Women deserve to have accessible entry into the workforce and a means to gain financial independence without being constrained due to inequality in the workplace. They should have an equal right compared to men to pursue work opportunities and advance their careers- a public infrastructure which supports this not only empowers women but also bolsters its economy. For instance, companies who are more diverse are reported to be more likely to have returns above national industry medians (Hummel). While this may not be a result of causation, research also shows that when women can earn and control their earnings, their children are more likely to be educated and their household income grows which in turn grows the economy (Gates Foundation). Aside from the economic impact, women’s economic empowerment also leads to a reduction in gender-based violence, increased political participation, and assists in disaster risk reduction (UN Women). Empowering women and enabling them to access the workplace through measures like legislating for maternity pay has positive benefits for society on every level. Societal Implications Research shows the positive impact of maternity leave on infant mortality rate and maternal stress, and maternity pay enables those pregnant to access these resources available to them. However, taking a long leave increases the risk of being fired or demoted and affects co-workers’ perception of how committed they are to their job. This bias was not restricted to men but was seen in both genders which helps explain how Badenoch, as a mother, can advocate against maternity pay and for increased personal responsibility (Hideg et al.). These negative effects on one’s prospects in their workplace defeats some of the purpose in providing maternity leave and pay as mothers will still need to make a choice between using it and suffering the negative impact on their career, or prioritizing their livelihood. In fact, a study by Harvard Business Review showed that those who have a career break due to being fired are more likely to be called to interview then those who have a career break due to childcare (UMA). It seems ridiculous and yet it is clear that there are negative connotations attached to those pregnant utilizing their right to maternity leave and pay. It is overwhelmingly clear that maternity leave and pay is important to empower women and for societal improvement, but it can be difficult to make advancements due to the negative connotations associated with maternity leave. When the call is also coming from inside the house, from mothers like Kemi Badenoch, it becomes evident the barriers that need to be removed before ensuring equal rights in the workplace. It is vital to remember that maternity leave and pay is important and that it has a tangible positive impact on parents and children. FAQs 1. What is Sav? Sav is a money-management app, allowing you to stick to your money goals, plan for the future, and spend confidently in the present.Your Sav card helps you meet your goals – just connect your bank account, top up your Sav card, choose goals you would like to set aside money for, and apply rules that automatically allocate funds toward your goals. The money set aside for your goals is safe. It is always available on your prepaid card and held with our partner financial institutions licensed by the CB UAE.You can use your Sav card to get additional rewards and cashbacks while spending. Check out our offer page to find the latest deals and promotions. 2. Is Sav a bank? No, ‘Sav Technologies Limited’ is a technology company registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai, UAE, with registration number # 5474. Through our banking partnership with Mashreq Bank, VISA and NymCard, we …

Kemi Badenoch’s Fundamental Misunderstanding Read More »