UAE: 21-year-old college dropout designs AI outperforming tech giants OpenAI, Genspark

A 21-year-old college dropout based in the UAE has pulled off what billion-dollar tech giants may or may not be able to do. Quddus Pativada, the founder of an artificial intelligence-driven tutor, ASI, has now built MyASI, an AI agent system that ranks #1 globally on the GAIA benchmark (a rigorous standard for evaluating AI assistants' general intelligence across diverse domains), outperforming titans like OpenAI and Genspark.

With a team of just five and a shoestring budget of $20,000 (around Dh73,500), Pativada's breakthrough is an indicator that the next wave of AI innovation may no longer be dictated by Silicon Valley’s deep pockets but by bold thinkers in places like the UAE.

“Honestly? We almost didn't believe the results ourselves. We ran the benchmarks three times,” said Pativada, who has already made waves in the UAE’s education space, having previously built the Ministry of Education’s AI tutor. “While OpenAI burns through billions trying to build a digital God, we built something people actually need: an AI that creates thousands of specialized experts.”

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Not an AI with a one-size-fits-all solutions

While most tech companies are racing to build one-size-fits-all solutions, MyASI is taking a different path, one that’s all about precision.

Pativada explained its strength lies in hyper-specialisation, creating AI agents finely-tuned for specific roles — whether it’s stepping into the shoes of a CFO, crafting like a designer, thinking like a researcher, or promoting like a restaurant marketer. Each agent is built to excel in its own niche, not just function broadly.

Photo: Supplied by Quddus Pativada

“We asked a different question: What if you could have thousands of AIs, each perfect at one thing you need? And our answer outperformed their goal on the only benchmark that matters,” he explained. “When you can't outspend the competition by 10,000x, you have to outthink them.”

The inspiration didn’t start with ambition to outshine Big Tech. In fact, the origins are rooted in education.

“We discovered fire while trying to light a candle,” said Pativada. “We were building personalized AI tutors — systems that didn't just teach but understood how each individual student learns. Then we realized: the architecture that could create a perfect tutor for you could create a perfect anything for you.”

From that foundation came MyASI, now capable of generating fully functional websites, applications, and games — within minutes. Pativada shared, in one striking example, a user in Cairo used the system to digitally transform his family’s restaurant.

“He described his vision to MyASI in Arabic — his grandmother's story, the ambiance he wanted to convey. Twenty minutes later, he had a stunning website, digital menus, social media templates, even a reservation system,” he said.

In another case, a beta user built and sold a website for $600 using just one AI prompt — an outcome that would typically require a design agency, weeks of back and forth, and considerable capital.

“The magic isn't the speed. It's that we're giving everyone the power to create exactly what they envision, no expertise required.”

What makes this achievement especially relevant is where it happened: the UAE.

Satya Nadella gives thumbs-up to new playbook

“We are the UAE's DeepSeek moment — except we didn't just match the Americans and Chinese, we beat them,” said Pativada. “The UAE isn't trying to be Silicon Valley 2.0 — they're writing an entirely new playbook. One where a 21-year-old dropout and four brilliant engineers can outmaneuver companies worth hundreds of billions.”

Meanwhile, the success of MyASI is a validation of the UAE’s ongoing push to become a global hub for artificial intelligence. Government support, investor backing, and a talent-rich ecosystem are giving rise to a new kind of tech culture — one that isn’t about scale, but smarts.

“Satya Nadella previously called our approach groundbreaking when he was in Abu Dhabi. Coming from someone who's seen everything in tech, that meant the world to us," he said.

From education and hospitality to research and finance, MyASI’s users are already stretching across industries.

“A university created an entire executive education curriculum in hours. Cancer researchers are using our agents. Small businesses competing like Fortune 500s,” said Pativada. “And yet — we’ve only seen 1 per cent of what’s possible.”

Pativada believes the shift in architecture is the real revolution — one that could rival the invention of the internet or even the printing press.

“Let me paint you two futures,” he explained. “Future A: One massive AI that's pretty good at everything. Future B: You have a team of AI experts that know you… each one insanely good at their specific job for your specific needs. Which future would you bet on?”

With backing from names like Mark Cuban (from Shark Tank), GSV, and the Dubai Angel Investors group, MyASI is set to move out of beta and into general availability soon. A waitlist is currently open at myasi.com, and developers around the world are already building on its infrastructure.

But Pativada is clear—this isn’t just about benchmarks or venture funding. "This is the Moneyball moment for AI. While they're buying all-stars, we're winning championships with math and imagination.”

When asked for his advice for builders everywhere?

He said, “Embrace your constraints. Ignore the gatekeepers — respectfully. Solve real problems for real people. Most importantly: start now. Geography doesn’t matter anymore. We built this from the UAE. You can build from anywhere.”

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