The UAE in 2026 will bring together the greatest minds from the realms of academia, business, technology, philosophy, art, and science to chart a course for the development of Artificial Intelligence over the next 70 years. 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 the Dubai Future Foundation, stated today. This global event, part of Dubai AI Week 2026, titled ‘AI@70: Towards a Global Humanity’, aims to initiate and facilitate a dialogue regarding the philosophical research questions that underpin the age of AI. Scheduled to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Dartmouth Workshop, which established AI as a field of study, this event will receive official backing from Dartmouth College, a prestigious Ivy League institution and host of the original series of meetings in 1956, often referred to as “the Constitutional Convention of AI.”
Knowledge sharing and global cooperation
His Highness emphasized: “Dubai believes in the power of knowledge sharing, global cooperation, and meaningful partnerships to anticipate the future of artificial intelligence and harness it to improve lives and advance societies.”
He further remarked: “AI is the transformative technology of our time. It has the power to change the way we understand what it means to be human, how we work, and how we understand the infrastructure of humanity. To unlock its full potential, Dubai will bring together the brightest minds from around the world – to understand the changes AI will bring and to ensure it is a force for positive, inclusive development. This event will place Dubai at the heart of the global AI conversation, drawing on our rich philosophical history to set up new breakthroughs that serve humanity.”
Commitment to global AI leadership
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said that the directives of 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 the Dubai Future Foundation, to host the AI@70 conference in Dubai underscore the emirate’s commitment to becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology. He added that Dubai will host the ‘AI@70: Towards a Global Humanity’ as part of the Dubai AI Week 2026. This landmark conference will reinforce the UAE’s position as the global capital of the future and testbed for the latest applications of AI and advanced technology.
Addressing philosophical questions of AI
In addition, His Excellency Omar Al Olama said AI@70 is a chance to address the most pressing philosophical questions sparked by the AI revolution, stating: “As AI transforms nations and societies around the world, it is vital humanity comes together to set the philosophical direction of this technology. AI has the power to improve the lives of every person on the planet, but to achieve this goal, we must answer questions that have never before been asked of us. By bringing together leaders in all intellectual disciplines, we can confront these important questions and ensure we leave behind a prosperous world for our children and all generations who follow them.”
Fusing disciplines for lasting impact
His Excellency Arif Amiri, chief executive officer of the DIFC Authority, said: “As the home of the Dubai AI Forum, DIFC is committed to turning bold ideas into reality with a lasting impact. AI@70 embodies our ambition to fuse finance, technology, art, and philosophy in one place and chart a course toward a truly global humanity.
“By welcoming the world’s foremost thinkers to Dubai, we will not only celebrate seven decades of artificial intelligence progress, we will also ignite the next wave of breakthroughs to uplift societies, transform industries, and expand opportunity for every corner of the globe,” His Excellency Amiri added.
Unparalleled opportunity for humanity
Moreover, Tobias Rees, AI philosopher, founder of Limn.AI, a member of APCO’s AIC and head of the AI@70 steering committee, said this will be an unparalleled event for humanity, stating: “AI is taking the whole of humanity into a world where no one has yet experienced. A world in which the formerly clear-cut distinctions between humans and technology, between organism and machine, no longer apply. We stand on the verge of an unprecedented moment in the history of humanity. AI@70 is an exciting opportunity to bring humanity together, to assemble some of the finest thinkers and builders from East and West, North and South. We want to explore the difficult questions that will enable us to understand the newness of AI, to build this exciting technology to its fullest potential, and to support the development of new frameworks for a single global humanity.”
Furthermore, Mamoon Sbeih, APCO’s president of Middle East & North Africa, said AI@70 represents a pivotal moment in the future of humanity, stating: “We stand on the cusp of a new technological age. AI represents the greatest opportunities humanity has seen in centuries, but to ensure it serves all of us, we must come together as a collective. AI@70 will allow us to define the future of AI and set our species on a positive path where philosophy, art, science, technology and business come together to build a more prosperous world for us all. By gathering the greatest global minds to tackle the most important questions, we can leave a powerful legacy for generations to come.”
New incubator for AI innovation
The event will serve as a precursor to the establishment of the ‘Humanity Lab’, an incubator that will last eight weeks – mirroring the duration of the original Dartmouth Conference. This incubator, hosted at the DIFC’s Dubai AI Campus, is designed to merge art, philosophy, and technology, aiming to develop a new category of AI products that reflect the profound changes AI is imposing on humanity.
The gathering of luminaries will further outline a radical research agenda for the world, focusing on the most impactful, forward-looking scientific, philosophical, ethical, and societal questions surrounding AI. The event seeks to align the technological breakthroughs occurring globally with philosophical innovation, fostering a new understanding of current transformations. It will generate an inventory of potential futures that were previously unimaginable. This is an opportunity to set the agenda for a new generation of entrepreneurs and artists as they explore paradigms once thought impossible.
Additionally, AI@70 will be organized by the DIFC in collaboration with the advisory firm APCO. The conference steering committee comprises representatives from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), advisors from global advisory firm APCO, and other experts in the field of artificial intelligence.
