{"id":2586,"date":"2025-11-27T03:10:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T03:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/?p=2586"},"modified":"2025-11-27T03:10:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T03:10:40","slug":"machines-can-think-2026-launches-in-abu-dhabi-fueling-uaes-100-billion-ai-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/machines-can-think-2026-launches-in-abu-dhabi-fueling-uaes-100-billion-ai-push\/","title":{"rendered":"Machines Can Think 2026 Launches In Abu Dhabi, Fueling UAE\u2019s $100 Billion AI Push"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abu Dhabi\u2019s<\/a> flagship AI Adopters event, <\/u><\/em>Machines Can Think 2026<\/em><\/a>, will bring together more than 20 leading AI researchers from over 12 countries and top executives from global Big Tech companies. The summit, organized by Polynome, will debut on 26-27 January 2026 at Park Hyatt Saadiyat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event will feature more than 50 keynotes, multiple partners, including Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), over 10 hands-on workshops, and immersive demo zones where attendees can interact directly with breakthrough AI technologies and meet the teams behind them.Aligned with the UAE\u2019s<\/a> strong AI infrastructure and its national 2031 AI<\/a> strategy, Machines Can Think 2026<\/em> reflects the country\u2019s broader ambition to advance real-world AI applications that power economies and societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program comprises three dedicated tracks \u2014 Co\u2011Evolution, Tech, and C\u2011Level \u2014 addressing the human\u2013AI interface, technical breakthroughs, and executive strategies for responsible, scalable adoption. Highlights include UAE Stargate: Building a National AI Fabric; Foundation Models and Infrastructure; AI for Life Sciences, AI for Talents and Computer Vision \u2014 \u201cMachines Can See and Act,\u201d showcasing advances that enable systems to perceive and operate in the physical world. With AI expected to add $100 billion<\/a> to the UAE\u2019s GDP by 2030 and Abu Dhabi<\/a> building the world\u2019s first AI-native government, the summit spotlights the country\u2019s rapid rise as a global innovation hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI thought leaders will take the stage throughout the two-day program, including Michal Valko, Chief Models Officer at a Stealth AI Startup; Manohar Paluri, VP of AI at Meta; Andrey Doronichev, CEO of Optic (an AI-native biopharma company); Marc Hamilton, VP of Solutions Architecture and Engineering at NVIDIA; and Serge Belongie, Director of the Pioneer Centre for AI, alongside other global innovators shaping the future of intelligent industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexander Khanin, Founder and CEO of Polynome.ai,<\/em><\/strong> said: \u201cThe UAE is rapidly solidifying its position as a global AI powerhouse, supported by major investments from both government and Big Tech players. In this environment, the Machines Can Summits have become a catalyst for meaningful dialogue between creators and decision-makers. As AI is projected to contribute <\/em>US$320 billion<\/em><\/a> to the region\u2019s economy, our mission is to turn this potential into tangible progress, helping nations, industries, and innovators build sustainable, intelligent systems that advance the region\u2019s global leadership in technology.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Laptev, Professor of Computer Vision at MBZUAI and Co-Founder of Machines Can See, <\/em><\/strong>added: \u201cAbu Dhabi is rapidly strengthening its position as a centre for advanced AI, and Machines Can Think 2026 exemplifies that momentum by bringing together leading researchers and practitioners from around the world.\u00a0 As the UAE continues to invest in cutting-edge infrastructure and talent, MBZUAI remains focused on driving excellence in AI knowledge creation, transfer, and application. Across computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, and computational biology, our community is developing research that can meaningfully advance industries and society. This summit provides a valuable platform to share that work, deepen global collaboration, and contribute to Abu Dhabi\u2019s emergence as a hub for the international AI community.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Machines Can Think is part of the broader Machines Can Summits (MCS) series, where AI creators showcase technologies reshaping industries, cities, and lives. Building on the momentum of last year\u2019s gathering, which welcomed 3,500 attendees from 82 countries, 105 speakers from 30 nations, and five country delegations, the 2026 edition is set to elevate the conversation even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, MCS will take place across two flagship events: Machines Can Think<\/em> in Abu Dhabi and Machines Can See<\/em> in Dubai, both designed to accelerate responsible AI development and adoption. The summit is also partnering with Women in AI for a dedicated panel featuring global leaders driving inclusion in the AI ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To join global AI leaders and innovators in Abu Dhabi, register now at machinescanthink.ai<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abu Dhabi\u2019s flagship AI Adopters event, Machines Can Think 2026, will bring together more than 20 leading AI researchers from over 12 countries and top executives from global Big Tech companies. The summit, organized by Polynome, will debut on 26-27 January 2026 at Park Hyatt Saadiyat. The event will feature more than 50 keynotes, multiple […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA.jpeg",1500,843,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA.jpeg",1500,843,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA.jpeg",1500,843,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA-300x169.jpeg",300,169,true],"large":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA-1024x575.jpeg",1024,575,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA.jpeg",1500,843,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA.jpeg",1500,843,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA-755x420.jpeg",755,420,true],"graptor-sq-xs":["https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Image-1-\u2013-Machines-Can-Think-2026-the-largest-AI-gathering-in-MENA-100x100.jpeg",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Sharad Agarwal","author_link":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/author\/sharad\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"AI<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Abu Dhabi\u2019s flagship AI Adopters event, Machines Can Think 2026, will bring together more than 20 leading AI researchers from over 12 countries and top executives from global Big Tech companies. The summit, organized by Polynome, will debut on 26-27 January 2026 at Park Hyatt Saadiyat. The event will feature more than 50 keynotes, multiple…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2586"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2588,"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2586\/revisions\/2588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiunplugged.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}