Photo : Dubai Government Media Office

The third edition of the Machines Can See (MCS) Summit 2025 kicked off today in Dubai with the attendance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The event, the largest dedicated to computer vision, is a key meeting point for AI experts in the region. Over 2,000 leaders, researchers, investors, and policymakers gathered to discuss the future of AI and the role it plays in shaping various sectors globally.

The summit, organized in partnership with the Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, is part of Dubai AI Week. It is supported by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, and the Dubai Future Foundation. The event's main goal is to promote partnerships between the government and private sectors, encourage innovation, and ensure AI solutions are used for the benefit of society.

The opening session included a high-level dialogue called "Wanted: AI to Retain and Attract Talent to the Country," where senior officials from countries like the UAE, Egypt, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia shared their views on how to attract and develop AI talent. They also discussed how AI impacts various fields, including robotics, autonomous vehicles, and the arts.

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Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, spoke about how the country is using AI to improve government work and create new economic models. He emphasized that the UAE is taking a leading role in developing responsible AI and applying it in many important areas, setting global standards for innovation.

Sheikh Mohammed was joined at the summit by Khalfan Belhoul, the CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation. Alexander Khanin, the founder of the summit, explained that the aim of Machines Can See is to ensure that groundbreaking research does not stay in labs but is turned into products that make a difference in people's lives.

During the summit, ministers from various countries talked about their efforts to promote AI. Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysia’s Minister of Digital, highlighted the country's efforts to build a strong digital ecosystem supported by innovation, talent, and responsible AI. He said that such events allow countries to exchange ideas and shape policies for the future of digital transformation.

Dr. Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, discussed Egypt’s National AI Strategy, focusing on inclusive development and AI training. He explained how Egypt is ensuring AI benefits all citizens and helps shape the future of the region.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiyev, introduced new incentives such as the Digital Nomad Visa and the Alem.AI center to attract global AI talent. He shared how Kazakhstan is creating a welcoming environment for innovation and ethical AI.

Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, announced a National GPU Lab and a program to train 50,000 developers annually. She stressed how AI can improve areas like smart agriculture and healthcare resilience.

Kazakhstan, the UAE, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement to help Central Asian start-ups expand into the wider MENA region. This agreement will support start-ups through joint programs, fundraising, and talent-visa pathways.

The ministers agreed on three priorities: creating faster pathways for talent mobility, embedding ethics in all AI systems, and piloting projects in smart cities and healthcare. They also decided to co-author a paper on how to improve cross-border talent exchange and data sharing.

The summit also showcased industrial-scale AI applications. Experts like Gerard Medioni from Amazon Prime Video shared how AI can personalize recommendations in real-time. Dr. Michael Bronstein from the University of Oxford discussed how AI is changing drug design. Daniele Iacovelli from Roche presented an AI case study that speeds up biopharma development.

Throughout the summit, workshops offered hands-on learning experiences. For example, SAP helped participants build custom AI assistants, and NVIDIA demonstrated how to bring generative AI into production. Dubai Police also showed how AI-powered machine vision is used in forensic DNA analysis.

The event concluded with a panel on AI ethics, where experts discussed how to balance the need for AI scale with safety. They provided a guide on how to reduce risks in AI models. Investors like Lydia Jett and Faris Al Mazrui also debated the best ways to fund deep-tech ventures.

The MCS Summit 2025 proved to be a major gathering for discussing AI, its challenges, and opportunities, and it reinforced the UAE’s commitment to leading the way in AI innovation.