MBZUAI hosts inaugural AI and Robotics Conference focused on healthcare

Abu Dhabi, UAE, April 23, 2025: MBZUAI opened the inaugural Abu Dhabi AI-Robotics Conference (AIRoC) on its campus today. The event, taking place from April 23 to 25, focuses on healthcare, a fast-evolving field where AI and robotics are beginning to redefine precision, personalization, and access to care. The conference agenda includes a series of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and talks by experts from Columbia University, Kyoto University, the Technical University of Munich, among others.  

“AIRoC is more than a conference,” said Professor Yoshihiko Nakamura, Department Chair and Professor of Robotics at MBZUAI. “It’s a platform to connect global expertise and accelerate innovation in robotics for healthcare. We are proud to bring this conversation to Abu Dhabi and share what we’re building with the world.”

The event also reflects MBZUAI’s broader mission: to apply AI in ways that serve society. “We are building the world’s first platform for universal physical and embodied intelligence,” said Nakamura. “This breakthrough will shape the next generation of intelligent machines. And its impact will be felt in hospitals, homes, and health systems around the world.”

The first day of the event featured four keynote addresses, including H.E. Abdulla Abdulalee AlHumaidan, Secretary-General of Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO), who spoke on Empowering Inclusion through AI, highlighting ZHO’s pioneering work in accessibility and empowerment. MBZUAI Provost, Timothy Baldwin, presented insights into the University’s Public Health Program. Professor Sami Haddadin, MBZUAI’s Vice President of Research and a globally recognized leader in robotics, shared his expertise on Human-Robot Symbiosis. Dr. Hassa Al Mazrouei, Medical Director Executive and International Patient Services at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), explored AI in Medicine, offering a clinical perspective on AI’s transformative role in healthcare.

At the heart of the conversation is a concept that once belonged to science fiction: the human digital twin. Leading this work is Professor Nakamura, whose research explores how robots can computationally model the human body, capturing the subtleties of movement, sensation, and interaction.

Robots in healthcare are not new, but MBZUAI’s approach goes beyond physical assistance. The University is developing what it calls a robot brain, a system of physical and embodied intelligence that allows machines to learn from their surroundings and adapt in real time.

By combining biomechanics, computer vision, and AI, researchers are building machines that can contribute meaningfully to rehabilitation, diagnostics, remote monitoring, and even emotional support.

Digital twins make these capabilities even more powerful. They allow healthcare professionals to observe and analyze patient-specific models without invasive procedures. These models can integrate genetic data, imaging, and physiological signals to provide a fuller picture of a person’s health and risk profile. The result is more informed care, delivered with greater accuracy and efficiency.

As AIRoC opens its doors, MBZUAI is not only contributing to the global robotics conversation—it is helping to lead it. The future of robotic medicine is no longer theoretical. It is real, and it is being developed today in Abu Dhabi.