Seventy years after artificial intelligence was formally named at Dartmouth College, the field has reached a point where technical progress is advancing faster than global agreement on how it should be governed, funded, and ethically constrained. In April 2026, Dubai will host AI@70: Towards a Global Humanity, a summit designed not as a retrospective celebration, but as a deliberate attempt to reset the long-term direction of machine intelligence at a moment of growing uncertainty.
Rather than focusing on near-term applications or commercial deployment, AI@70 looks outward toward the year 2096. Supported by Dartmouth College and anchored within Dubai AI Week 2026, the summit positions the UAE as a neutral ground where scientists, policymakers, and institutional leaders can address how artificial intelligence should develop in service of human judgment, social stability, and shared economic value over the coming decades.
Why AI@70 Matters Now
Artificial intelligence has moved from experimental systems into the infrastructure of economies, governments, and security frameworks. Decisions once made exclusively by people are increasingly shaped by algorithmic systems, often without clear accountability structures or shared standards across borders.
At the same time, global AI governance remains fragmented. Some regions prioritize rapid commercial growth, others focus on regulation and risk containment, and many emerging economies are still defining their role in this landscape. The 70-year milestone provides a rare opportunity to pause short policy cycles and address deeper questions about direction, responsibility, and coordination at a global level.
From Dartmouth 1956 to Dubai 2026
The 1956 Dartmouth Workshop is widely regarded as the moment when artificial intelligence was formally defined as a field of study. At the time, the focus was academic exploration and theoretical possibility. Today, AI systems shape financial markets, public services, creative industries, and national security planning.
This shift in scale brings a corresponding shift in responsibility. Returning to first principles is no longer an academic exercise, but a necessary step in ensuring that systems built over the next several decades align with social norms, legal frameworks, and human oversight. AI@70 draws a direct line between the field’s origin and its current maturity, emphasizing responsibility over novelty.
Dubai’s Role as a Global Convener
Dubai’s hosting of AI@70 reflects a strategic positioning rather than symbolic ambition. The UAE sits between major AI power blocs, maintaining strong ties with Western research institutions while actively investing in domestic digital infrastructure and governance frameworks.
Unlike regions where AI discourse is dominated by either corporate interests or regulatory institutions, the UAE has pursued a balanced approach that combines public-sector leadership, private capital, and long-term national planning. Institutions such as the Dubai International Financial Centre provide regulatory credibility, while partnerships with academic bodies signal a commitment to research continuity rather than short-term signaling.
This positioning allows Dubai to act as a convening space where competing perspectives can be debated without defaulting to a single economic or political model.
Planning Beyond Policy Cycles Toward 2096
Most technology policy discussions operate within short horizons, often limited to electoral cycles or funding periods. AI@70 explicitly rejects this constraint by framing its agenda around a seventy-year outlook.
Long-horizon planning matters because the effects of artificial intelligence compound over time. Education systems, research funding priorities, data governance models, and ethical standards established today will shape outcomes far beyond the current generation of tools. By extending its planning window to 2096, the summit encourages participants to think in terms of institutional durability rather than immediate advantage.
For startups, research institutions, and governments across the GCC, this approach provides a reference point for aligning innovation with long-term economic resilience.
Ethics as Structural Design, Not a Side Conversation
At the center of AI@70 is the theme “Towards a Global Humanity,” which places human judgment and social well-being at the core of technological progress. Ethics, in this context, is treated as a design requirement rather than a philosophical add-on.
Discussions are expected to focus on practical issues such as bias prevention, accountability in automated decision-making, and ensuring equitable access to AI-enabled services. These conversations align closely with the UAE Charter for the Development and Use of AI, which emphasizes fairness, safety, and human oversight across all systems.
By embedding ethical considerations into system design and governance, the summit reinforces the idea that responsible AI is built through structure and policy, not intention alone.
AI@70 Within Dubai AI Week 2026
AI@70 takes place on April 7 and 8, 2026, across key innovation venues including the Dubai World Trade Centre, the Museum of the Future, and DIFC. As part of Dubai AI Week, it serves as the intellectual anchor alongside the Dubai AI Festival and the Dubai Assembly for AI.
With over 10,000 expected participants, more than 180 speakers, and a wide range of interdisciplinary workshops, the week reflects Dubai’s effort to position itself not just as a host of technology events, but as a center for serious policy and research dialogue.
What This Signals for the Next Phase of AI Governance
By convening AI@70, Dubai is signaling an intention to influence how artificial intelligence is discussed, coordinated, and constrained at a global level. The summit suggests a move away from fragmented debates toward longer-term alignment across research, governance, and economic planning.
As AI systems become more deeply embedded in daily life, the frameworks established today will define their social impact for generations. AI@70 represents an attempt to shape that trajectory deliberately, grounding technological progress in human judgment and shared responsibility rather than short-term advantage.
