UAE Hosts Inaugural Governance Of Emerging Technologies Summit To Address Ethical AI And Cybersecurity
The Governance of Emerging Technologies Summit (GETS 2025) commenced in Abu Dhabi, supported by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Organised by the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) with the UAE Public Prosecution, this summit is a pioneering event in the region. It aims to establish responsible governance frameworks for advanced technologies by uniting policymakers, legal experts, technologists, and youth leaders.
Over 1,000 participants from more than 20 countries attended the first day. This included ministers, dignitaries, and high-level delegations from the Arab world. Notable attendees were the Attorney General of Qatar, Egypt's Attorney General, and Oman's Deputy Attorney General. They were joined by judges, policymakers, and international thought leaders in law and technology.
The opening discussions addressed crucial issues like AI ethics, cross-border data governance, cybersecurity resilience, and post-quantum security. Keynote speakers included Chancellor Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, UAE Attorney General; Faisal Al Bannai from ATRC; Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi; Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti; Maqsoud Kruse; Dr. Mohamed Obaid Al Kaabi; and Chancellor Salem Ali Al Zaabi.
Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi highlighted the UAE’s leadership in ethical governance systems rooted in human values during his opening remarks. He stated: "Innovation without ethics is incomplete," adding that emerging technologies should serve humanity and society beyond mere advancement.
The summit featured sessions on youth's role in digital governance and challenges of autonomous systems. Discussions also covered digital rights protection and AI's impact on data privacy. Experts stressed coordinated action among governments, tech developers, and society to ensure a secure digital future.
In a session titled "From Vision to Empowerment: The Roadmap to Justice 2030", Chancellor Salem Ali Al Zaabi introduced the UAE Public Prosecution’s AI Strategy 2025–2030. This strategy aims to position the Prosecution as a leader in digital innovation while upholding ethical standards.
Global Recommendations for Technological Advancement
The summit issued global recommendations through collaboration with TRENDS Research and Advisory on its first day. These included calls for a global charter on human-AI interaction that integrates ethics into innovation from the start; empowering youth in governance; prioritising digital trust as a national imperative; and balancing legal frameworks with technological progress.
Faisal Al Bannai emphasised tech organisations' responsibility for their technologies during a high-level dialogue: "Tech organisations must take some responsibility for the technologies they release. It cannot be that they issue it and let society deal with the consequences."
Focus on Post-Quantum Readiness
Post-quantum readiness was another focus area at the summit. Experts urged early data audits and encryption upgrades aligned with post-quantum standards to prepare for future challenges. Discussions also highlighted digital inclusion and linguistic equality in AI to bridge global divides.
The summit underscored investment in local datasets, digital literacy, and AI accessibility as crucial steps towards achieving these goals.
With inputs from WAM
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