Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase as increasingly capable systems move from experimentation into government, business and critical infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the AI Everything Abu Dhabi summit on October 6-7 will put AI safety, autonomous systems and the rapid expansion of advanced technology at the centre of discussions.
One of the central questions at the summit will be whether organisations can maintain control as AI systems become more autonomous. The event's agenda highlights reliability, containment and control as key safety concerns, particularly as AI agents move beyond providing advice to taking actions and making decisions.
The debate comes as researchers and former technology-company employees have raised concerns about the pace of development of self-improving AI. Reuters reported that some researchers believe safety measures are struggling to keep pace with rapidly advancing systems.
The issue has also triggered debate within the technology industry over how much risk society should accept in exchange for wider access to AI and faster innovation.
Agentic AI will be another major theme. Unlike conventional generative AI, agentic systems can execute tasks, interact with software and operate with greater autonomy.
The Abu Dhabi agenda focuses on how governments and enterprises can move beyond AI experiments and integrate autonomous agents into everyday operations. This signals a broader shift from demonstrating AI capabilities to measuring its practical value.
The summit will also examine sovereign AI as countries seek greater control over models, computing infrastructure, data and supply chains. The event agenda links technological sovereignty with infrastructure security and national competitiveness.
Abu Dhabi is pursuing this strategy alongside a wider government transformation. More than 40 government entities are being integrated into an AI-driven ecosystem, with more than 100 AI use cases already operating across public services. The emirate aims to become an AI-native government by 2027.
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