Physical artificial intelligence technologies, humanoid robots, and national talent-building programs dominated the discussions on the second day of the AI Everything Abu Dhabi 2026 summit and exhibition, where global industry leaders and government officials reviewed standards for the safe deployment of intelligent systems in the manufacturing, services, and education sectors.
Article index:
- Day two of the Abu Dhabi summit and growing international attendance
- The humanoid robotics challenge as the Everest of the tech world
- Bank of America forecasts a boom of 10 million robots
- Training 30,000 government employees in the Abu Dhabi government
- Reshaping university education and specialized curricula
- Frequently asked questions
Day two of the Abu Dhabi summit and growing international attendance
The AI Everything Abu Dhabi 2026 summit and exhibition continued for its second consecutive day at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, October 7, witnessing wide international turnout in sessions discussing the impact of AI’s transition from virtual programmatic scope to physical environments and real work arenas.
Following a dazzling opening that attracted over 400 technology companies and startups, more than 180 prominent speakers, and thousands of executives from over 105 countries, the summit affirmed the UAE capital’s leadership in guiding global dialogue toward exploring mechanisms for the safe and sustainable deployment of artificial intelligence systems in advanced industry sectors, civil services, and higher education.
The humanoid robotics challenge as the Everest of the tech world
Marc Raibert, executive director of the AI Institute and founder of renowned American robotics company Boston Dynamics, presented a comprehensive analytical vision of the trajectory of intelligent machine development and the role of humanoid robots in serving communities, emphasizing that designing this category of robots represents the greatest engineering challenge of the current era.
Raibert said in his speech to attendees: “The humanoid robot represents an astonishing challenge; it is akin to climbing Mount Everest in the field of robotics. I see that today we are witnessing a major scientific renaissance in reinforcement learning research, giving robots unprecedented mobility flexibility. If you want to enable a machine to communicate smoothly with humans, using large language models as a linguistic intermediary represents the most efficient path to teach the robot what it needs to do in the field.”
Bank of America forecasts a boom of 10 million robots
Summit sessions highlighted the exciting findings of a global study by the Bank of America Institute, which projected that global shipments of humanoid robots will jump from just 90,000 units in 2026 to reach the 10 million unit mark by 2035.
These estimates underscore the radical and rapid shift toward adopting “physical AI” solutions, which integrate cognitive capabilities with robotic mechanical structures, directly impacting industrial production line patterns, logistics support services, medical facilities, and daily tasks assisting humans in difficult environments.
Training 30,000 government employees in the Abu Dhabi government
Discussions affirmed that technological development holds no real value unless supported by qualified human cadres. In this regard, Her Excellency Mariam Al Mheiri, Director General of Government Talent at the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi, outlined the emirate’s field efforts to prepare employees to work alongside technology.
Her Excellency Mariam Al Mheiri stated: “Our strategic goal is to become the world’s first AI-native government by 2027. To achieve this, we focus primarily on our human talent, having successfully trained 30,000 government employees in artificial intelligence fields with a record completion rate of 95%.” She noted that delegating routine tasks to machines grants employees a valuable opportunity to focus on critical thinking and strategic planning.
Reshaping university education and specialized curricula
His Excellency Prof. Ibrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, addressed the necessity of developing academic curricula to keep pace with future labor market demands, emphasizing that the educator’s role has shifted from being a sole source of information to a guide and facilitator helping students solve real-world problems, with a focus on instilling values of leadership, ethics, and intellectual curiosity.
Meanwhile, Alef Education, through its CEO Jeffrey Alphonso, showcased the success of the “Alef Pathways” program in supporting over 100,000 students by providing specialized curricula in Arabic and English that adapt to each learner’s individual needs. Higher Colleges of Technology and Khalifa University projects also shared applied initiatives in healthcare and sustainability to connect educational outcomes with comprehensive national development.
Frequently asked questions
Question: What analogy did the founder of Boston Dynamics use to describe humanoid robots?
Answer: Marc Raibert compared the development of humanoid robots to climbing Mount Everest due to their mechanical and cognitive complexities.
Question: What is the expected number of global robot shipments by 2035?
Answer: The Bank of America Institute report projected shipments to reach 10 million units by 2035, compared to 90,000 units in 2026.
Question: How many employees has the Department of Government Enablement in Abu Dhabi trained?
Answer: The department announced the training of 30,000 government employees in artificial intelligence skills, achieving a 95% completion rate of targets.
