In a landmark move to promote transparency in AI-assisted content creation, Dubai has launched the world’s first icon-based classification system to indicate the degree of collaboration between humans and machines in research, publications, and public-facing content. Spearheaded by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the Human–Machine Collaboration (HMC) Icons introduce a new global benchmark for responsibly disclosing AI involvement in content production.
The classification system is free to use, copyrighted for standardization, and openly accessible to researchers, academic publishers, creative professionals, and content creators worldwide.
A Global Call for Transparent AI Use
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of DFF, emphasized the urgency of clear AI-human attribution:
“Distinguishing between human and AI-generated content has become a major challenge. That is why we have launched a new framework to define the level of collaboration between humans and machines across all forms of content. We invite researchers, writers, publishers, designers, and content creators around the world to adopt this new global classification system.”
Five Core Icons, Nine Functional Indicators
Unlike existing systems that focus only on authorship or output detection, Dubai’s HMC Icons analyze the entire content creation journey — from ideation to final design. The framework includes:
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Five Core Icons indicating the level of human vs. machine contribution (ranging from “All Human” to “All Machine”).
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Nine Functional Icons denoting machine involvement in specific stages: ideation, literature review, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, writing, translation, visuals, and design.
This comprehensive system is designed to enhance trust and accountability in an era of rapid AI advancement, particularly in academia, media, and creative industries.
Reinforcing Human Leadership and Integrity
By adopting the HMC Icons, institutions and individuals can demonstrate responsible AI usage, uphold human oversight, and improve audience trust. The system is expected to play a critical role in ensuring research integrity and editorial credibility across global content platforms.
Inspired by Global Dialogue
The idea originated from a thought-provoking question posed in DFF’s 2024 Global 50 Report: “What if we had a Turing Declaration for human intelligence?” The HMC Icons serve as a tangible response—ushering in a future where transparency and ethics guide the coexistence of human creativity and machine intelligence.
This initiative firmly positions Dubai as a pioneer in setting ethical AI frameworks, inviting international collaboration and adoption of a unified standard for content classification in the age of AI.