Exploring Humanity in the Age of AI: Global Experts to Debate Creativity, Culture, and Policy at 7th Culture Summit Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced the key panels and sessions for the seventh edition of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, the leading global forum to be held from April 27 to 29, 2025 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.

This year's Summit, held under the theme "Culture for Humanity and Beyond" will bring together global thought leaders, policymakers, renowned artists, and creative innovators to explore the intersection of culture, technology, and global governance. The three-day Summit will foster critical dialogue that focuses on the collective rethinking of human emancipation and humanism through keynote presentations, creative conversations, panel discussions, artist talks as well as a series of bespoke workshops. The participants will seek to find common ground to build a shared sustainable future. New perspectives will emerge on reimagining tomorrow as old ways of thinking become obsolete.

His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman — DCT Abu Dhabi, commented: "DCT Abu Dhabi is proud to reconvene our local and international partners spanning culture, design, technology and more to the seventh edition of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, to continue to build on the progress we have made in identifying how culture can affect positive change. Within the setting of the Saadiyat Cultural District, together we are exploring the theme of 'Culture for Humanity and Beyond', pursuing new perspectives on the power of creative and artistic endeavours at a time of unprecedented technological change."

Rita Aoun, Executive Director of the Culture Sector — DCT Abu Dhabi, commented: "Culture Summit Abu Dhabi brings together cultural leaders, policymakers, and creative visionaries to engage in critical discussions that shape the future of cultural policy and the creative industries. The theme 'Culture for Humanity and Beyond' reflects the DCT culture sector mandate that not only preserves and promotes culture but actively harnesses its power to drive progress, foster understanding, and create new possibilities for the future. As part of the Sector role to develop a thriving cultural and creative ecosystem, we are committed to creating platforms that translate dialogue into action, strengthening cultural exchange and supporting sustainable growth in the region and beyond."

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi will feature a diverse array of sessions throughout the three days.

This includes keynotes by Mo Gawdat, Author and Former Chief Business Officer at Google X, Susan Buck-Morss, Philosopher and Scholar; Professor Iyad Rahwan, Director of Machine Learning at Max Planck Institute for Human Development; Sir William Sargent, chair of Framestore; Glenn D. Lowry, The David Rockefeller Director at MoMA, and Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA.

There will also be an exceptional series of Creative Conversations featuring insightful discussions with award-winning creatives such as Thomas Heatherwick, Designer; Colleen Atwood, Costume Designer; Refik Anadol, Visual Artist and Ralph Nauta, Artist; Ayoung Kim, Visual Artist; as well as in-depth conversations between Philanthropist Maja Hoffmann and Architect Hashim Sarkis; and Sir John Akomfrah, Film Director, with Writer and Director Awan Amkpa, Thebe Magugu, Designer and Mariam Issoufou, Architect.

A series of sessions will discuss AI's growing influence on creativity and the digital world. These include 'AI Revolution: Redefining Creativity in the Age of Machines'; 'The Rise of AI in Creative Industries'; 'Should Governments Regulate AI to Compensate the Creative Industries?'; ' The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Cinema'; 'The Ownership Dilemma: Safeguarding Music in a Digital-First World'; 'Tuning in to the Future: Music, AI, and Learning'; and 'Transmission by Avatar: From Oral to Digital Knowledge'.

Attendees can also look forward to sessions exploring culture as a force for good. Topics covered will include 'Turning Green: What Happens When Cultural Leaders Take Action for the Planet'; 'Culture as a Public Good: From Policy to Action'; and 'A Horizon in Motion. Cultural Anticipation. Planetary Affection. Sharing the World'.

On the opening day, a panel discussion will be held on 'Bridging the Cultural Gap: The Role of Culture in Shaping Global Governance', reflecting the subtheme of the day, 'Reshaping the cultural landscape'. Speakers of the panel include Jenny Shipley, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Iveta Radičová, Former Prime Minister of Slovakia and Cassam Uteem, Former President of Mauritius and. The panel will discuss the importance of including culture in multilateral processes and the strategies for integrating cultural dimensions into UN-related frameworks, ahead of major culture-related events such as MONDIACULT 2025.

Following the success of the first MONDIACULT Ministerial Dialogue hosted at Culture Summit last year, the Summit will welcome its second edition of 'MONDIACULT Ministerial Dialogue | The Culture of Humanity in the Digital Era', a two-part discussion focusing on the impact of artificial intelligence on culture and human creativity, and culture and peace for a sustainable future, respectively bringing together over 10 ministers of culture from across the globe. Another key cultural policy session of the Summit is a panel discussion on 'Advancing the Objectives of the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education', focusing on the day's subtheme, New frames to redefine Culture for Humanity and Beyond'. This panel follows the 'World Conference on Culture and Arts Education', an international gathering held by DCT Abu Dhabi and UNESCO from February 13-15 last year that welcomed more than 190 ministers of education and ministers of culture from around the world to discuss a global framework for culture and arts education.

Further enriching the programme are other key sessions, including 'A Conversation: About Jazz, Humanity and Beyond' with Herbie Hancock, trailblazing jazz musician & UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and John Ridding, jazz enthusiast, Journalist & CEO, Financial Times; 'Creative Expression at a Time of Disruption', moderated by Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with speakers including the Head of Dubai Opera, Paolo Petrocelli and Award-Winning Designer, Lama Hourani, and a panel co-organised with the UAE Ministry of Culture on 'From Ruins to Resilience: A New Era of Heritage Rehabilitation'. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discover the creative practices of many renowned artists in an exceptional Creative Talks series, including in particular Wael Al Awar, Architect, Abdalla Almulla, Architect, Alia AlShamsi, Poet and Artist, Omar Al Gurg, Designer, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Artist, Yolanda Castaño, Writer, and Andrea Cote, Writer among others.

The event's global partners include UNESCO, The Economist Impact, the Design Museum, Google, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, and Recording Academy. Additional partners include Image Nation Abu Dhabi, International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), Cultural Foundation, The National, Club de Madrid, Abrahamic Family House, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Berklee Abu Dhabi, Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), Institut Français, Institut du Monde Arabe, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, TeamLab, Maktaba, House of Artisans, and Herbie Hancock Jazz Institute.

Several key partners expressed their views on the upcoming Summit.  

Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, said: "From heritage to creativity, culture is an expression of humanity that connects us through time. This year's theme challenges us to examine how technology has transformed this age-old relationship. UNESCO calls on participants to harness the power of culture towards a sustainable, human-centred future." 

Tim Marlow, Director and Chief Executive, The Design Museum, London, commented: "The Design Museum is delighted to be part of the Culture Summit and this year will stage a series of talks and discussions that look to the design of a future that is more than human."

Nacho Floristan, Director Generative AI Solutions Architecture, EMEA/APAC, Google, said: "We're excited to participate in the Culture Summit 2025, reflecting on how genAI is transforming our society and how we discover, leverage and create culture going forward."

Harvey Mason jr, CEO at Recording Academy, added: "Culture has the power to unite, inspire, and drive humanity forward. At Culture Summit 2025, we're excited to explore how music and creativity shape our future - amplifying voices, fostering innovation, and connecting people across borders and generations."

Panos A. Panay, President, Recording Academy, said: "As we gather for Culture Summit 2025, we're at a fascinating intersection where culture and humanity collide with unprecedented technological disruption. I'm excited to explore how music and the arts are evolving beyond traditional boundaries, becoming powerful catalysts that shape our future while deepening our connection to what makes us human in this quickly changing world."

Dr. Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, said: "The Guggenheim has always been an incubator of the future, providing a platform for artists and catalyzing conversations to explore the important questions of the day. We are delighted to return to the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi and focus our creative imagination for this iteration on the ways art, AI and other generative technologies are shaping new frontiers of cultural expression and production."

Kenneth Cukier, Deputy Executive Editor, The Economist commented: "As AI eats the world, vaunting culture is vital - an expression of our human values and shared destiny. Economist Impact is honoured to be programming part of the annual Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, celebrating the power of narrative to shape our identities for progress and purpose."

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi is an annual global forum that brings international leaders from the cultural and creative industries to explore ways in which culture can transform societies and communities worldwide. The forum reflects DCT Abu Dhabi's commitment to preserving, protecting, and promoting Abu Dhabi's rich cultural heritage while fostering creativity and innovation to build a more inclusive and sustainable global cultural future.

For more information about the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit: dct.gov.ae and abudhabiculture.ae

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