
UAE's first AI Pandora: The Mystery Box Challenge successfully hosted
Empowering the Next Generation with AI Education
The AI Pandora Challenge provided students with hands-on exposure to cutting-edge AI technologies, including machine learning, image recognition, computer vision, speech-to-text, and GPT-powered innovations. The competition emphasized real-world AI applications, equipping students with essential 21st-century skills to thrive in the digital age.
A Visionary Initiative in AI Learning
This initiative underscored Meritus AI's and PedTech Global's commitment to fostering innovation and critical thinking among students. Category 2 of the competition allowed participants to engage in practical AI applications using the Meritus AI Kit over a 15-day period. Through this, students explored advanced AI concepts such as image recognition, gesture processing, and speech processing, marking a significant milestone in AI-integrated education.
"We believe AI and robotics are not just the future—they are shaping industries today. Competitions like AI Pandora inspire young minds to innovate and solidify the Gulf region's position as a global AI hub.' – Mr. Ramana Prasad, Founder & Chairman, Meritus AI
Setting a New Benchmark in AI Competitions
The AI Pandora Challenge featured two dynamic categories: AI Innovators Crafting the Future – Coding with Scratch AI Extension
AI Hackathon – Building solutions with the AI Innovators Kit
After intense rounds of coding and problem-solving, students presented AI-driven solutions that showcased their technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Winners were honored with plaques, certificates, and the prestigious AI Meritus Kit. Additionally, the winning school received an Artificial Intelligence book to further encourage AI-driven learning.
Collaboration and Recognition
The event brought together AI leaders, educators, and school leadership, reinforcing the importance of collaborative learning in AI education. Special appreciation was extended to PedTech Global, Meritus AI, and hosted by GEMS Cambridge International Private School, Sharjah (GCS Sharjah) for their pivotal role in hosting this milestone event, contributing immensely to its success.
Driving the Future of AI Education
The AI Pandora Challenge 2025 is more than just a competition—it is a transformational movement in AI education. By bridging the gap between theory and practical application, Meritus AI, PedTech Global, and GCS Sharjah continue to set new standards in the education sector, ensuring students are well-prepared to become the AI leaders of tomorrow.
As the first-of-its-kind AI competition in the UAE, this initiative marks a significant milestone in fostering technological excellence among young innovators. Meritus AI remains committed to empowering students with AI-driven learning experiences, shaping the future of education, and building a smarter, more innovative world.
About Meritus AI
Meritus AI is a global leader in AI education, providing cutting-edge STEM solutions for K-12 students across Asia, Gulf, Africa, and the USA. Through innovative AI learning programs, Meritus AI is committed to driving technological advancements in education and preparing students for the future.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Zawya
2 days ago
- Zawya
Riverbed launches new AI Innovators Awards Program
Riverbed honors customers worldwide for transforming their organizations through large-scale AI initiatives, delivering faster incident response, improved uptime and more scalable IT operations Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Riverbed, the leader in AIOps for observability, today announced the launch of the Riverbed AI Innovators Awards Program designed to recognize customers at the forefront of AI technology and redefining how their business operates – leveraging AI for everything from predictive analytics to intelligent automation. These organizations are driving the future of AI innovation harnessing the Riverbed Platform and the company's next-generation AIOps and observability solutions to prevent disruptions, reduce costs, and deliver a smoother, more reliable digital experience. The quarterly Awards Program celebrates enterprise customers who have made a significant impact with their AI strategy. Over 40 customers worldwide across a wide range of industries have already surpassed 10,000 automated remediations a month and are receiving this award in recognition of their successful partnership with Riverbed. These AI Innovators demonstrate exceptional creativity in applying AI tools; strategic vision and execution; and tangible business outcomes and ROI through innovation. 'Riverbed's AI Innovators Awards Program honors many of our most visionary customers—those who are redefining IT Operations through the scalable power of Riverbed's AI-embedded observability platform,' said Jim Gargan, Chief Marketing Officer at Riverbed Technology. 'We're proud to celebrate their achievements, as they leverage Riverbed AI to deliver measurable ROI, improve their digital experience, and create lasting value across their organizations.' 'We're delighted to receive this award from our partner, Riverbed, in recognition of our leadership in developing AI technology tailored for financial services." The Riverbed AI Innovators Award recognizes the successful collaboration between Global Credit Union and Riverbed in developing NORA, our AIOps-driven solution. Riverbed's technology was essential in delivering the scale, reliability, and performance needed to realize our vision. This recognition reflects the strength of our partnership and the innovation we've achieved together,' said Douglas Horner, SVP of IM Operations at Global Credit Union. 'Achieving over 10,000 automated remediations per month reflects the collaboration, commitment, and innovation our team brings to every challenge and the powerful capabilities of the Riverbed Platform. This award is a great validation of the strategic direction we've taken, and we're excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what AI and automation can do in financial services.' Riverbed's pace of innovation is accelerating with the company rolling out three major product releases since the start of 2025, including new solutions that bring together Riverbed Generative, Predictive and Agentic AI embedded within its unified observability platform. Riverbed's AI Innovators Awards Program will continue to recognize Riverbed customers who achieve successful AI implementations at scale, deliver significant ROI, and improve business outcomes. About Riverbed Riverbed, the leader in AIOps for observability, helps organizations optimize their user's experiences by leveraging AI automation for the prevention, identification, and resolution of IT issues. With over 20 years of experience in data collection and AI and machine learning, Riverbed's open and AI-powered observability platform and solutions optimize digital experiences and greatly improves IT efficiency. Riverbed also offers industry-leading Acceleration solutions that provide fast, agile, secure acceleration of any app, over any network, to users anywhere. Together with our thousands of market-leading customers globally – including 95% of the FORTUNE 100 – we are empowering next-generation digital experiences. Learn more at Riverbed and certain other terms used herein are trademarks of Riverbed Technology LLC. All other trademarks used herein belong to their respective owners.


Khaleej Times
02-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
How AI crawlers scrape the internet at large just changed
Cloudflare, Inc, the leading connectivity cloud company, has announced it is now the first Internet infrastructure provider to block AI crawlers accessing content without permission or compensation, by default. Starting today, website owners can choose if they want AI crawlers to access their content, and decide how AI companies can use it. AI companies can also now clearly state their purpose – if their crawlers are used for training, inference, or search – to help website owners decide which crawlers to allow. Cloudflare's new default setting is the first step toward a more sustainable future for both content creators and AI innovators. For decades, the Internet has operated on a simple exchange: search engines index content and direct users back to original websites, generating traffic and ad revenue for websites of all sizes. This cycle rewards creators that produce quality content with money and a following, while helping users discover new and relevant information. That model is now broken. AI crawlers collect content like text, articles, and images to generate answers, without sending visitors to the original source – depriving content creators of revenue, and the satisfaction of knowing someone is viewing their content. If the incentive to create original, quality content disappears, society ends up losing, and the future of the Internet is at risk. 'If the Internet is going to survive the age of AI, we need to give publishers the control they deserve and build a new economic model that works for everyone – creators, consumers, tomorrow's AI founders, and the future of the web itself,' said Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare. 'Original content is what makes the Internet one of the greatest inventions in the last century, and it's essential that creators continue making it. AI crawlers have been scraping content without limits. Our goal is to put the power back in the hands of creators, while still helping AI companies innovate. This is about safeguarding the future of a free and vibrant Internet with a new model that works for everyone.' 'Cloudflare's innovative approach to block AI crawlers is a game-changer for publishers and sets a new standard for how content is respected online. When AI companies can no longer take anything they want for free, it opens the door to sustainable innovation built on permission and partnership,' said Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast. 'This is a critical step toward creating a fair value exchange on the Internet that protects creators, supports quality journalism and holds AI companies accountable.' 'We have long said that AI platforms must fairly compensate publishers and creators to use our content. We can now limit access to our content to those AI partners willing to engage in fair arrangements,' said Neil Vogel, CEO of Dotdash Meredith. 'We're proud to support Cloudflare and look forward to using their tools to protect our content and the open web.' 'As the largest publisher in the country, comprised of USA TODAY and over 200 local publications throughout the USA TODAY Network, blocking unauthorized scraping and the use of our original content without fair compensation is critically important,' said Renn Turiano, Chief Consumer and Product Officer of Gannett Media. 'As our industry faces these challenges, we are optimistic the Cloudflare technology will help combat the theft of valuable IP.' 'Creators and publishers around the world leverage Pinterest to expand their businesses, reach new audiences and directly measure their success. As AI continues to reshape the digital landscape, we are committed to building a healthy Internet infrastructure where content is used for its intended purpose, so creators and publishers can thrive,' said Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest. 'AI companies, search engines, researchers, and anyone else crawling sites have to be who they say they are. And any platform on the web should have a say in who is taking their content for what,' said Steve Huffman, co-founder and CEO of Reddit. 'The whole ecosystem of creators, platforms, web users and crawlers will be better when crawling is more transparent and controlled, and Cloudflare's efforts are a step in the right direction for everyone.' 'We applaud Cloudflare for advocating for a sustainable digital ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders — the consumers who rely on credible information, the publishers who invest in its creation, and the advertisers who support its dissemination,' said Vivek Shah, CEO of Ziff Davis. Cloudflare powers one of the world's largest networks, helping to manage and protect traffic for 20% of the web. The company handles trillions of requests daily, and thus has the world's most advanced bot management solutions, accurately distinguishing between human users and AI crawlers. In September 2024, Cloudflare introduced the option to block AI crawlers in a single click. More than one million customers have since chosen this option, meant to be an aggressive but easy solution that halts scraping while they determine their AI strategy. Now, Cloudflare is taking the next step to enforce a permission-based model for AI crawlers. AI companies will now be required to obtain explicit permission from a website before scraping. Upon sign-up with Cloudflare, every new domain will now be asked if they want to allow AI crawlers, giving customers the choice upfront to explicitly allow or deny AI crawlers access. This significant shift means that every new domain starts with the default of control, and eliminates the need for webpage owners to manually configure their settings to opt out. Customers can easily check their settings and enable crawling at any time if they want their content to be freely accessed. Now Cloudflare is making the content ecosystem more transparent for AI companies and creators. The company recently proposed new ways for AI bots to authenticate themselves as well as for websites to identify those bots – giving creators and website owners new identification mechanisms and control over what crawlers they want to allow. Cloudflare is participating in the development of a new protocol to provide bot owners and AI agent developers with a public, standard way to identify themselves.


Zawya
04-03-2025
- Zawya
UAE's first AI Pandora: The Mystery Box Challenge successfully hosted
Sharjah – In a groundbreaking initiative set to redefine AI education, Meritus AI, in collaboration with PedTech Global and GEMS Cambridge International Private School, Sharjah (GCS Sharjah), successfully launched the UAE's first-ever AI Pandora: The Mystery Box Challenge .The event saw 35+ schools, 70+ teams, and 200+ participants engage in an electrifying showcase of artificial intelligence (AI) excellence. Empowering the Next Generation with AI Education The AI Pandora Challenge provided students with hands-on exposure to cutting-edge AI technologies, including machine learning, image recognition, computer vision, speech-to-text, and GPT-powered innovations. The competition emphasized real-world AI applications, equipping students with essential 21st-century skills to thrive in the digital age. A Visionary Initiative in AI Learning This initiative underscored Meritus AI's and PedTech Global's commitment to fostering innovation and critical thinking among students. Category 2 of the competition allowed participants to engage in practical AI applications using the Meritus AI Kit over a 15-day period. Through this, students explored advanced AI concepts such as image recognition, gesture processing, and speech processing, marking a significant milestone in AI-integrated education. "We believe AI and robotics are not just the future—they are shaping industries today. Competitions like AI Pandora inspire young minds to innovate and solidify the Gulf region's position as a global AI hub.' – Mr. Ramana Prasad, Founder & Chairman, Meritus AI Setting a New Benchmark in AI Competitions The AI Pandora Challenge featured two dynamic categories: AI Innovators Crafting the Future – Coding with Scratch AI Extension AI Hackathon – Building solutions with the AI Innovators Kit After intense rounds of coding and problem-solving, students presented AI-driven solutions that showcased their technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Winners were honored with plaques, certificates, and the prestigious AI Meritus Kit. Additionally, the winning school received an Artificial Intelligence book to further encourage AI-driven learning. Collaboration and Recognition The event brought together AI leaders, educators, and school leadership, reinforcing the importance of collaborative learning in AI education. Special appreciation was extended to PedTech Global, Meritus AI, and hosted by GEMS Cambridge International Private School, Sharjah (GCS Sharjah) for their pivotal role in hosting this milestone event, contributing immensely to its success. Driving the Future of AI Education The AI Pandora Challenge 2025 is more than just a competition—it is a transformational movement in AI education. By bridging the gap between theory and practical application, Meritus AI, PedTech Global, and GCS Sharjah continue to set new standards in the education sector, ensuring students are well-prepared to become the AI leaders of tomorrow. As the first-of-its-kind AI competition in the UAE, this initiative marks a significant milestone in fostering technological excellence among young innovators. Meritus AI remains committed to empowering students with AI-driven learning experiences, shaping the future of education, and building a smarter, more innovative world. About Meritus AI Meritus AI is a global leader in AI education, providing cutting-edge STEM solutions for K-12 students across Asia, Gulf, Africa, and the USA. Through innovative AI learning programs, Meritus AI is committed to driving technological advancements in education and preparing students for the future.