The Road to AI Impact Summit 2026, a two-day event running February 10-11, opened at Symbiosis International University Dubai campus in Dubai Knowledge Park, serving as a precursor to the main AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Organised by Symbiosis International University Dubai in collaboration with the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, the summit brought together policymakers, academics and industry leaders to discuss the purpose-driven use of artificial intelligence and its societal impact.
Dr Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to the UAE, emphasised that “curiosity is important, but what matters more is the purpose of artificial intelligence.” Speaking at the event, he noted that Dubai was a fitting location for the summit, describing it as “a special city- one that is building the future at a remarkable pace.” He stressed that “AI is being co-authored not only in laboratories of the Global North, but also in classrooms, startups, and communities across the global South.”
Dr Ashwin Fernandes, executive director for Asia, Middle East and Africa at QS, highlighted the urgent need for workforce transformation, and emphasised that universities must play a bigger role in skilling, reskilling and upskilling the workforce through lifelong learning, noting that AI skills will be embedded in every role in the future rather than creating separate technology jobs.
Satish Sivan, Consul General of India to Dubai, outlined how India is deploying AI across multiple sectors, from improving healthcare access in remote regions to helping farmers make informed crop decisions and transforming classrooms through personalised learning. He cited government initiatives including the India AI Mission and Centres for Excellence for AI as central to this transformation, expanding access to computing power and supporting cutting-edge research.
A significant development highlighted was NANDA, a 13 billion parameter model developed in partnership with the UAE’s G42 Group and trained on Condor Galaxy, one of the world’s most powerful AI supercomputers. The summit also showcased the ATAL Incubation Center at IIT Delhi’s Abu Dhabi campus, established last year to foster AI-driven entrepreneurship and collaborative research across the UAE and wider Gulf region.
Ambassador Mittal invoked the concept of “sarve hitaya, sarve sukhaya”, the welfare and happiness of all, emphasising that AI should uplift, empower and democratise opportunities. He stressed that “AI is not about replacing humans. It is about expanding human possibilities,” adding that the future of artificial intelligence must be collaborative, inclusive and human-centric. The summit aimed to ensure AI becomes a force for shared prosperity, trust and sustainable development through global partnerships.
