AI safety and rapid rise of advanced technology key topics for Abu Dhabi summit

Abu Dhabi is pressing ahead with an ambitious plan to become the world’s first “AI-native” government by 2027, integrating more than 40 government entities into a single AI-driven ecosystem and deploying over 100 live AI use cases across public services. The Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi (GovDigital or DGE) is hosting the two-day Ai Everything summit at Adnec, featuring some 180 speakers and backed by a $3.54 billion investment programme to scale AI-led public services, economic value creation and responsible deployment.

“Abu Dhabi will become the world’s first AI-native government next year, and the evidence is already clear in the way we're redefining public services for millions of people and businesses,” said Wesam Lootah, director general of GovDigital (DGE). “We have built the blueprint, and Ai Everything Abu Dhabi is our invitation to the world to examine it, to see what intelligent governance looks like at scale, and the enormous benefits it delivers to people's lives today.”

The summit brings together leaders from generative AI and robotics—among them Arthur Mensch, co-founder and chief executive of Mistral AI, and Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics—to discuss safety, governance and the social impact of rapidly advancing technologies. Organisers are positioning the event as a showcase for live AI applications across sectors including banking, health care, energy and education.

More than 100 AI use cases are already operational across the emirate’s public services, officials say, with the $3.54 billion programme intended to support rollout, research and partnerships. The gathering comes amid heightened global debate over AI safety and control as investment surged during 2026.

Labour market shifts and gender gaps

Job creation and displacement are prominent themes at the summit. Analysis cited at the event shows AI-related job postings have doubled since 2023, with AI engineers now the most common AI role on LinkedIn. Typical AI job postings offer salaries of about $177,000, compared with roughly $80,000 for non‑AI roles.

• Women accounted for just 25 per cent of AI hires in the US in 2025, compared with 50 per cent in non-AI occupations.
• Across 27 countries, women hold only 13 per cent of C-suite leadership roles at AI companies.
• At a recent US presidential AI summit, only two of 31 guests and business leaders were women, underscoring gender imbalance at the top.

Speakers at Ai Everything are also focussing on safety and responsible deployment. “Beyond the speculative sheen of AI, its true impact lies in transforming science, services and society,” said Trixie LohMirmand, chief executive of Ai Everything. “Abu Dhabi is moving decisively into that territory, with the leadership assembling the infrastructure, institutions, research capabilities and global partnerships needed to turn AI ambition into national capacity.”

Organisers say the summit aims to test and demonstrate measurable returns from AI investments by presenting live implementations across government and industry. With thousands of delegates expected, the event will serve both as a platform for technical debate—on topics such as secrecy, control and safety—and as a policy forum for deciding how to scale intelligent governance while addressing workforce disruption and diversity shortfalls.