Artificial intelligence took center stage at BRIDGE Summit 2025 as Global Tech Leaders announced how the technology is moving from aspiration to active deployment. Speakers from Meta, Yango, Huawei, and HeyGen reported how artificial intelligence is reshaping human connection, content creation, and consumer behavior. They also revealed why Abu Dhabi is emerging as a key hub for AI dialogue.

Meta’s Vice President for EMEA, Derya Matras, opened the event with a keynote titled Superintelligence: The Next Frontier of Human Connection. She reported that artificial intelligence is now influencing daily routines, relationships, and work. She noted the energy in Abu Dhabi following the Grand Prix and said AI must become contextual and supportive, integrating naturally into everyday life. However, she emphasized that this shift requires major long-term investment.

She said that reaching and surpassing human-level capabilities demands a holistic commitment and robust frontier model infrastructure. She pointed to advancements in AR and wearables and predicted that intelligent personal agents, including those built into smart glasses, will reach billions. These agents, she added, will empower users through features such as real-time translation, contextual overlays, and hands-free interaction.

Daniil Shuleyko, CEO of Yango Group, revealed how artificial intelligence is reshaping consumer expectations. With Yango now deeply established in the UAE through ride-hailing and maps, he said customers increasingly expect intelligence built directly into products, not added as a surface feature. He described a generation that demands an “AI wow” and quickly moves on when the intelligence is only cosmetic.

Huawei’s Shi Ri, CTO of the ISP & Media Business Unit, reported that artificial intelligence is now transforming global media workflows. He demonstrated how cloud architecture and next-generation networks allow professional-grade content to be produced using media large models trained on extensive industry datasets. He said these systems unify tasks that human creators once needed to assemble manually.

He stressed the importance of infrastructure and said the future relies on hybrid media cloud architectures. These combine public cloud capacity for large live events, private environments for data governance, and edge systems for real-time processing. He added that computing power remains the core requirement.

HeyGen Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Wayne Liang announced new developments in AI avatar technology. He introduced a digital twin of himself capable of producing multilingual video messages within minutes. He explained that HeyGen aims to compress production timelines while maintaining quality.

Liang revealed how global brands such as McDonald’s, Klaviyo, and Apple TV use HeyGen to localize content and accelerate production. He also announced HeyGen’s new real-time, interactive avatars designed for immediate conversation and on-demand engagement. He invited attendees to test the tools at the company’s booth.

• Artificial intelligence framed as entering a new deployment phase
• Speakers highlighted infrastructure, cloud architecture, and consumer demand
• Brands reported rapid adoption of avatars and AI-driven content tools

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