Machines Can Think 2026 Unites Global AI Leaders in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 28 January 2026 – Machines Can Think 2026, Abu Dhabi’s premier AI Adopters summit, opened its doors with over 1,500 global experts, spotlighting applied AI and practical adoption strategies. Co-organized by Polynome and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the two-day event offers attendees access to a global AI community of 25,000 professionals and researchers.

The summit featured a keynote by Yann LeCun, Professor at New York University, on Objective-Driven AI: World Models, Reasoning, and Efficiency, highlighting the evolution of AI from pattern recognition to goal-oriented reasoning, efficient systems, and dependable decision-making in real-world contexts.

Alexander Khanin, Founder and Director of Polynome Group, described the summit as a “strategic platform for public and private sector leaders to discuss AI adoption at scale.” He emphasized that the summit’s discussions are designed to go beyond vision-setting, fostering informed debates and actionable outcomes. Khanin added, “Machines Can Think 2026 allows attendees to explore frontier science, scalable AI adoption, and practical applications aligned with the UAE’s 2031 AI Strategy and its ambition to build the world’s first AI-native government.”

The program spans over 50 topics across two days, with sessions covering AI infrastructure, enterprise AI, life sciences, and regulatory frameworks. Highlights included discussions on AI Factories: Enabling AI at State Scale, advances in world models, video generation models, gamification of large language models, AI in drug discovery, foundation models for biology, and personalised human phenotyping. Practical workshops addressed sovereign AI, C-level strategies, proof-backed AI search agents, and fostering AI-first organizational culture. Governance, societal impact, and sector-specific applications were also explored in sessions such as Pilot to Policy: AI Safety and The Future at the Crossroads of People, Business, and the City.

Andrey Doronichev, CEO of Bioptic, noted, “Machines Can Think connects the entire AI ecosystem, from neural network researchers to applied teams in regulated industries like pharma. The region is at a pivotal moment where compute and infrastructure are advancing, but the real opportunity lies in cultivating scientific talent and research depth.”

Part of the global Machines Can Summits series, the event continues to establish itself as a reference point for applied AI dialogue, fostering partnerships, research initiatives, and strategic collaborations. Previous editions have engaged over 25,000 participants and generated more than 6 million online interactions from 82+ countries.

Supported by leading partners including Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Mubadala, Women in AI, Hub71 Orbit, and VAST Data, Machines Can Think 2026 continues today with additional sessions on scaling AI responsibly and embedding it into long-term enterprise and national strategies.

The summit is hosted at Park Hyatt Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, on 26–27 January 2026.