As Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving from research labs to everyday life services, including hospitals, dental chairs and corporate recruitment offices, Khaleej Times takes an in-depth look at how the technology is transforming different fields at an Abu Dhabi AI dental clinic, a new breast-cancer detection system using advanced imaging algorithms, and AI-driven recruitment services that promise a fairer and faster hiring process.

Detecting breast cancer earlier

At the newly opened HealthBay Vitalia Breast Care Clinic in Jumeirah, radiologists are turning to artificial intelligence to spot cancers that can be nearly invisible to the human eye. “Our new Hologic 3D Mammography System uses AI algorithms to highlight suspicious areas, significantly improving early detection rates,” said Dr Amrita Kumar, Consultant Interventional Breast Radiologist and AI Clinical Lead at HealthBay. “It excels at detecting subtle abnormalities that might be missed on initial review, particularly in dense breast tissue.”

Dr Amrita Kumar

HealthBay’s system — the first FDA-approved digital breast tomosynthesis platform in the Middle East, achieves a 94 per cent sensitivity rate and reduces false positives by 70 per cent. The system’s AI, known as Genius AI Detection, analyses every image slice to identify potential malignancies with what Dr Kumar calls “a second pair of expert eyes that never gets tired or distracted.”

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Beyond improving accuracy, the technology brings new reassurance to patients. “I tell them AI is like having a highly trained assistant who never blinks, working alongside me to ensure we don’t miss anything,” she explained. “But I’m the one making all final decisions about your care.”

Dr Kumar, who previously led the UK’s first NHS AI working group, believes the next decade will shift AI’s focus “from detection to prediction — identifying women at high-risk years before cancer develops.” She also warned that AI systems must be validated on diverse populations to prevent bias. “In Dubai’s multicultural environment, this matters enormously.”

Precision dentistry in real time

At SmileVerse, an Abu Dhabi AI-powered dental studio under Tajmeel Clinic and Burjeel Holdings, technology is changing how patients experience treatment — from diagnosis to final restoration, ensuring faster, cleaner and less invasive measures.

“Normally, when a dentist takes an X-ray, they might miss small cavities or bone loss,” said Dr Srikanth Narkedamalli, Director of SmileVerse as he demonstrated the clinic’s AI diagnosis tool. “Our diagnostic software, supported by AI, automatically scans the image and displays a full dental chart, identifying healthy, missing and affected teeth with colour codes.”

At SmileVerse, an Abu Dhabi AI-powered dental studio, technology is changing how patients experience treatment

On-screen, healthy teeth appear green, previous fillings pink, missing ones red, and caries blue — a visual system that makes it easier for patients to understand their own oral health. Reports can be instantly generated “in four to five languages, like Arabic, English, Chinese or French.”

Another technology guides the production of veneers and crowns in-house. “AI takes the digital impression of your teeth, designs the veneer or crown in a few minutes, and sends it straight to our 3D printer,” explained Dr Narkedamalli. “We can complete what used to take two or three visits in a single day.” Because there’s no need for traditional moulds or silicone trays, patients spend far less time in the chair. “There’s no gagging, no discomfort,” he added. “Everything is digital — from scan to fit.” 

SmileVerse’s AI-guided robotic implant system also makes procedures more precise. “Traditional implant placement is freehand,” he noted as he demonstrated how the system would pinpoint where to operate in the patient’s jaw.  “Here, the AI navigation works like GPS, showing exactly where and how deep to drill. It’s 100 per cent precise, with no surgical opening.”  The studio’s CAD/CAM workflow also supports same-day restorations, while Digital Smile Design software allows clinicians to preview and customise each patient’s smile before treatment. 

Digital jaw-scanning tools measure alignment and bite “within seconds”, eliminating the manual measurements once taken with callipers and wax models. The system’s AI then suggests the optimal implant angle and size, allowing the team to customise treatment in real time.

For patients, this means shorter appointments, fewer follow-ups and restorations that feel and look natural. “People today want things done smarter and quicker - they don’t want time delays.” Burjeel Holdings plans to extend the SmileVerse model across its Tajmeel network. “If you see five years ahead; it will all, be AI,” he concluded.

The algorithm in the hiring room

Outside the medical field, AI is also reshaping how companies find and develop talent. Recruitment and advisory firm Gentis says the Middle East is seeing a surge in AI-driven hiring, both to fill the region’s growing demand for tech talent and to streamline candidate selection.

According to LinkedIn’s Future of Recruiting 2025 – MENA report, 37 per cent of organisations in the region are already experimenting with generative AI in recruitment processes. In the UAE alone, job postings requiring AI skills have doubled in three years, rising from 5,000 in 2021 to nearly 10,000 in 2024, according to PwC’s AI Jobs Barometer.

“Recruitment in the Middle East is entering a new phase, powered by technology and defined by skills,” said Stéphanie Reniers, Co-founder and CEO of Gentis. “AI is creating more strategic, human-centred hiring.”

Gentis’ new regional executive director, Fayçal Lahlou Nabil, added that “companies are focusing on value creation and leadership that delivers measurable impact,” with the UAE labour market leading the GCC with a 4 per cent rise in hiring during Q2 2025. Recruiters, he noted, are increasingly relying on AI tools to source, screen, and match candidates, “freeing up time to focus on human-centred activities such as interviewing and engagement.”

Fayçal Lahlou Nabil

Whether reading mammograms, guiding dental implants, or screening job applications, AI is redefining how humans work; not by replacing them, but by sharpening their focus. “AI amplifies our capabilities as clinicians, catching what we might miss and freeing us to spend more time on what matters most,” said Dr Kumar. “No algorithm can replicate caring for patients with expertise, empathy, and human connection.”

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