- Artificial Intelligence World” events officially kicked off with a strategic summit hosted by Abu Dhabi
- The global event activities continue with the Artificial Intelligence World Exhibition on February 5 and 6 in Dubai
- Global experts provided diverse insights that highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing vital AI-based industries around the world .
- His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai: “We are witnessing a global era in which innovation in artificial intelligence is redefining the possible and shaping reality .”
- British computer scientist Stuart Russell: “Unregulated digital technologies can cause enormous harm .”
Today, the activities of the AI World Summit and Exhibition officially kicked off in Abu Dhabi, hosting the summit’s activities to inaugurate the largest global gathering between the public and private sectors in the field of artificial intelligence this year .
AI World is the world’s leading event in the field of artificial intelligence. It is organized by the Dubai World Trade Center and Con International in cooperation with GITEX Global over three days, from February 4 to 6, between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It attracts the most prominent players in the field of artificial intelligence, opens the horizons of dialogue and discussion for participants to explore the global impact of this technology, and enhances cross-continental cooperation, opening new horizons for artificial intelligence innovations .
The event kicked off on Tuesday with the AI World Summit hosted by the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, which saw a large turnout and a packed agenda of events, providing a dazzling start to the AI industry’s international exhibition and event agenda for 2025 .
His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Advisor to the President of the UAE and Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) , praised the global impact of AI during the summit’s keynote speech, saying: “Throughout history, each generation may have thought they were living in an exceptional time, but I truly believe that we are witnessing a global era where AI innovation is redefining what is possible and shaping reality . The age of AI is still in its early stages, and there is much to come. The possibilities are expanding like never before thanks to the rapid development of the AI ecosystem, and open source is one of the many aspects that foster collaboration and enable everyone to harness the potential of this technology.”
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, also emphasized the vital role that AI plays in the future social and economic development of the UAE. He said: “We aim to implement technologies that enhance the quality of life. If we want these technologies to expand, and if we want AI to be part of everyone’s lives, we need to make sure that it is economically accessible and has good economic value .”
AI Everywhere: Diverse Insights Amid Radical Market Shifts
The AI World Summit was attended by a select group of government heads, CTOs, AI CEOs, AI innovation pioneers, senior officials and policy makers, and provided an exciting series of in-depth discussions and intellectual dialogues that addressed the current dynamics of AI and its future development prospects.
As a platform that addresses pressing industry challenges and analyzes the most promising opportunities amidst profound structural market transformations, the AI World Summit hosted a group of visionary leaders from a wide range of sectors that are increasingly reliant on AI . In addition to energy, education, healthcare, finance, government, Industry 4.0, and the creative economy, the AI World Summit highlighted the growing impact of AI in the fields of film, television, and digital entertainment .
The first day featured a stunning interactive presentation by Jonathan Bronfman, the world-renowned creator of Vanity AI , used in Hollywood blockbusters such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Stranger Things, and Netflix’s record-breaking Squid Games . Bronfman, co-founder of Canadian visual effects studio Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies (MARZ) , shared fascinating insights into the AI-driven revolution in the film industry during a session titled “ The End of the Reshoot: How AI is Rewriting Hollywood in Minutes . ”
Bronfman spoke enthusiastically about the future of AI in the film industry, asserting that the industry will benefit enormously from the revolutionary capabilities of this technology . He said : “ Generative AI will have a huge impact on Hollywood. The dazzling visuals we are used to seeing in films like Mission: Impossible, Star Wars, and Star Trek are expensive and time-consuming to produce. Generative AI will make the production and development of films more cost-effective, which is something that studios desperately need – while still bringing audiences to the screen.”
While Bronfman emphasized the importance of collaboration between AI and Hollywood, he reassured the audience that the human element will always be essential, despite growing concerns about the potential impact of AI on industry jobs . “ Any film or series that relies entirely on generative AI is not a threat to Hollywood,” he said . “The human element is indispensable because you can’t fully replicate human creativity and intelligence. If you look at YouTube influencers and their ability to pull audiences away from Hollywood already, consumption habits are changing dramatically. That’s the biggest threat the industry faces .”
The summit received wide acclaim from participants who reviewed the radical changes taking place in digital economies worldwide, starting from governance frameworks, commercialization requirements, and industry shifts, to developments that are changing the face of markets, direct expectations, and the global leadership race in the field of artificial intelligence. As a controversial force that brings together different perspectives on the global stage, attendees witnessed presentations by prominent global experts who discussed a variety of visions and broad perspectives .
The summit featured a panel discussion titled “ How Generative AI is Accelerating? Dealing with the Growing Pressure to Accelerate AI Innovation.” During the panel, Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, stressed the urgent need for strict regulations for the AI industry, stating : “ The narrative that regulation stifles innovation is toxic – past experience shows us that unregulated digital technologies can cause serious harm. We – as AI experts – don’t fully understand how this technology works. And when it doesn’t work, no one knows how to fix it. In fact, no one really knows what will happen next. Whether or not scaling large language models will lead to artificial general intelligence (AGI) is just speculation at this point .”
The summit program also included a session by Kate Darling, a researcher at the MIT Media Lab in the United States. During the session, she gave an interactive presentation accompanied by a demo of robots, and highlighted pioneering research exploring a future where humans and robots coexist: “For decades, engineers have been working to develop a robot that is strong, reliable, and safe enough to be used in public spaces. For me personally, the technological developments we have seen are not necessarily the most exciting. What is really exciting is what happens when you combine artificial intelligence and robotics and put them in the context of human interaction. Because as people start to encounter these technologies in their daily lives, we see unexpected and interesting reactions .”
Kate Darling, a researcher at the MIT Media Lab in the United States
Exploring the global wave of change driven by AI
The AI World provides the perfect platform to analyze the changing global power dynamics as the first AI-focused event following recent pivotal developments in the field – from the announcement of the $500 billion “Stargate Project” to the rise of DeepSec and the heated debates at the World Economic Forum 2025 .
While the event provides a key platform for aspiring tech innovators to expand their industry knowledge, interact with AI leaders, and accelerate their strategies through a wide network of public-private partnerships, it also uniquely highlights the progress of AI integration and application in the region.
Stephen Burt shared positive insights when discussing whether affordable AI is the key to breaking the dominance of big tech and fostering innovation. “ We can get there, and we’ve already done the basics by ensuring that the underlying data is in the right places, along with the infrastructure,” said Stephen, who is the Chief Data Officer for the Government of Canada . “ Whether the big winners in AI are from Silicon Valley, the venture capital ecosystem, or elsewhere in the world, the results are possible because AI models are becoming more accessible and usable.”
Ott Velsberg, Chief Data Officer of the Government of Estonia, who oversees data governance and AI in Europe’s leading provider of digital public sector services, also revealed how countries globally can benefit from the successful use of AI and data analytics: “ Proactive government is the way forward – through effective collaboration with the private sector and increased awareness and education within the public sector. Over the past two years, data-intensive companies have seen an average of 60% revenue growth, which equates to €5.7 million per day. International collaboration is stronger than ever, with universities and countries joining forces and resources to address common challenges .”
Next stop Dubai :
After a great day of discussions at the AI Summit, the AI World event schedule moves to Dubai, another leading global AI capital, with the Dubai Exhibition Centre hosting the AI Expo on February 5-6 .
Expo City, with its world-class facilities, will host the Artificial Intelligence Exhibition, showcasing a range of its latest pioneering technical applications. The event will highlight pioneering areas of use in the research and development sector, as well as revolutionary practical applications covering the fields of government, business, society, and the basic pillars of global economies .
Visitors can expect an exclusive experience to discover the most prominent artificial intelligence innovations that have won international patents and awards, with the participation of more than 70 countries . The event includes a carefully selected group of more than 500 companies specialized in artificial intelligence and the fastest growing startups, 70% of which will witness their first appearance in the region .
Global leaders in the field also talk about their leadership, including Asus, Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Dell, Fortinet, G42, HP, IBM, Intel, Zoom, Lenovo, Nokia, Oracle, Palo Alto Networks, Red Hat, and the Technology Innovation Institute.
For more information, please visit: aieverythingglobal.com .
