Overview
- The UAE ranks first worldwide in working-age AI use at 59.4%, edging Singapore at 58.6%, according to Microsoft’s AI Diffusion Report.
- Brad Smith said 700 million people lack electricity, 2.6 billion lack internet access, and 3.9 billion lack digital skills, leaving roughly half the world unable to use AI.
- Microsoft opened its first Middle East AI for Good Lab in Abu Dhabi to work on climate resilience, disaster preparedness, agriculture, geospatial mapping, public health and language models for underrepresented dialects.
- Peng Xiao of G42 said energy supply now determines AI scaling and announced plans to build up to 5 gigawatts of AI computing capacity in Abu Dhabi powered by clean energy.
- Speakers including Ian Bremmer urged a governance coalition to avoid deepening geopolitical and socioeconomic divides and to prepare for white-collar job disruption through reskilling.