Dubai driving tests are getting an AI upgrade

The pervasiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern life is impossible to ignore, and futile to try to fight. You can try of course, but if the footage from the recent cage match between an AI T800 robot and a human is anything to go by, you’re not going to win. It’s not all Skynet and CEO doom prophecies though. In many areas, AI is making huge strides towards improving life for humans. It’s fast tracking research into pathology, it’s breaking language barriers and lightening admin loads everywhere, it’s decentralising education and knowledge, improving agricultural practices, making financial transactions more secure, and – it seems – potentially making your commutes on the Sheikh Zayed Road that little bit safer too. Announced on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 via the Emirates News Agency – WAM, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the roll out of an update to its driving test format. This next phase of the Smart Test System (STS) for light-vehicle yard tests will see a deeper integration of AI into its operational format. How exactly is the new tech upgrade being implemented? The STS will integrate AI directly into the test vehicles with the key purpose of monitoring learner performance. It will do this by analysing manoeuvres and scoring how well the driver is doing against the official criteria. No human intervention in the marking, just the efficient embrace of machine intelligence. AI will also be confirming test takers’ identities using facial recognition. That same tech will also monitor in-car driver safety checks, such as checking mirrors and blind-spots, as well as that nine o’clock and three o’clock hand positioning on the steering wheel. It’s incredibly precise too. Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology gives the STS accuracy within two centimetres, highlighting errors in vehicle position and parking accuracy.