Not just tech hype: Abu Dhabi puts humanity at the heart of AI
From AI to ancestry, museums to ministers—Abu Dhabi's Culture Summit 2025 unfolded as a global dialogue on how humanity can harness culture to navigate the future.
From April 27–29, the capital of the UAE transformed into a meeting ground of minds and cultures, hosting the seventh edition of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi under the resonant theme Culture for Humanity and Beyond. The summit was more than a policy forum or a cultural showcase—it was a call to rethink the role of culture in a world increasingly shaped by technology and transformation.
This year, more than ever, the conversations were urgent. The headlines are dominated by the rise of artificial intelligence, market fluctuations, and general uncertainty. At such a time, Abu Dhabi did something quietly radical: it asked the world to pause, gather, and consider what it truly means to be human.
DCT Abu Dhabi hosted the three-day summit, which was themed 'Culture for Humanity and Beyond'. It brought together over 200 speakers, 100 sessions, and 3,700+ attendees from over 90 countries across six continents.
Held in partnership with global institutions, including UNESCO, Google, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and The Economist Impact, the event offered a powerful blend of keynotes, policy dialogues, cultural performances, and creative panels.
At its core, this year's summit asked a deeply urgent question: How does culture evolve—and guide us—in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence?
'Culture is a powerful force that shapes creativity, preserves heritage, and propels societies towards a future defined by innovation and hope.' With these words, His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture, set the tone for the seventh edition of the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, held from April 27–29, 2025.
Echoing that vision, HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), added: 'Culture is not an afterthought; it's foundational. These gatherings matter more than ever, as they offer us the opportunity to chart a path towards a more sustainable and human-centred global society—with culture as its compass.'
AI was not just a talking point—it was the spine of the summit's programming. On Day One, Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, set a reflective tone, warning that while AI promises extraordinary convenience and scale, it also carries a weight of unintended consequences. 'We are building machines that are smarter than us,' he noted, 'but are we teaching them to be wiser than us?'
The conversation didn't stop at alarm. In sessions that followed, speakers from across disciplines—ranging from academia to architecture—called for a reframing of AI: not as a replacement for creativity, but as a tool to augment it. As a panellist Dr Patrick Noack from the Dubai Future Foundation argued, 'AI can serve as an accelerator—but never a substitute—for human imagination.'
An emotionally resonant session featuring jewellery designer Lama Hourani, Dubai Opera's Paolo Petrocelli, and Broadway designer David Korins reminded audiences that AI may generate content, but it can't yet spark meaning.
Beyond AI and policy, the summit expanded into unexpected cultural territories. A series of thought-provoking panels explored:
How museums can serve as 'dynamic spaces of urgent relevancy'
Why fashion is a cultural and intellectual force, not just an aesthetic
How design can move beyond human-centred thinking in a multispecies world
Speakers included some of the most influential minds in global arts and culture: Glenn D. Lowry (Director, Moma), Susan Buck-Morss (CUNY/Cornell), Iyad Rahwan (Max Planck Institute), and Sir William Sargent (Framestore). Their keynotes offered philosophical depth, practical insight, and urgent critiques of the systems shaping creativity today.
A key highlight was the MONDIACULT 2025 Ministerial Dialogue, co-organised by UNESCO and DCT Abu Dhabi. Culture ministers from around the world engaged in a candid, high-stakes discussion about the evolving role of governments in shaping the future of culture in the digital era.
Among the topics addressed are how AI can protect heritage, create economic opportunity, and amplify the creative potential of youth. The conversation reaffirmed a deep collective belief that culture is a core infrastructure of governance, not an afterthought.
'Today, it is an honour to see the collaboration between DCT Abu Dhabi and UNESCO deepen,' said HE Al Mubarak. 'The presence of Culture Ministers here in Abu Dhabi sends a strong message: culture is a vital priority for governments worldwide.'
Since its inception in 2017, the Culture Summit has grown into a platform that doesn't just respond to global trends—it helps set them. The 2025 edition underscored Abu Dhabi's long-term vision: to position culture as a strategic pillar of its economic, educational, and social development goals.
That vision was mirrored in its partnerships—with organisations like teamLab, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Image Nation, and the Abrahamic Family House—and in the city's cultural infrastructure, which blends policy with performance, heritage with high-tech. As the summit drew to a close, the message left hanging in the air wasn't about the capabilities of AI or the future of museums.
The Culture Summit didn't offer final answers, but it did offer a necessary space to pause, listen, and imagine together. In doing so, it reinforced a simple truth—if the future is to be truly human, culture must not follow behind technology. It must walk alongside it and, sometimes, lead.
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