World first AI city in Abu Dhabi by 2027: Aion Sentia to have smart homes, automated transport
In a groundbreaking effort to transform city living with artificial intelligence and cognitive technology, Abu Dhabi plans to build the world’s first AI cognitive city, Aion Sentia. Completion of this project is scheduled for 2027 and it falls within the emirate’s vision of using AI in all facets of life: how residents live, work, and engage with their environment.
Automation of infrastructure maintenance, energy optimization, and provision of predictive services will all be available. The Italian project developer My Aion Inc.’s CEO Daniele Marinelli expressed, “This city will not just be smart; it will be cognitive— learning and evolving with its residents.”
The creation of MAIA, an AI-powered mobile application that allows direct interaction with city services, will also be implemented in the cognitive city framework. From automated public transport to seamless smart home scheduling and AI healthcare assistance, MAIA plans to deliver effortless technology-centric life to every resident.
This landmark AI venture comes after the strategic partnership formed between Abu Dhabi’s Bold Technologies, a unit of Bold Holding, and Italian AI company My Aion Inc. The project falls under a $2.5 billion Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
MAIA consolidates various services available in the public and private sectors into one entity and Aion Sentia seeks to develop a single platform that meets every user’s needs. During the media roundtable, Marinelli presented the MAIA application as more than a generative AI; it is an evolving system with the ability to make decisions in real-time based on real, useful data pertaining to a user. Unlike other applications that interface with the user’s data, MAIA through its Personal Profile Graph, unlike other applications that interact with an user’s data, MAIA through its Personal Profile Graph, learns from the user’s data interactions and understands preferences, routines, and even associates.
As Marinelli puts it: “We want to go to the next level.” For example, imagine an AI able to recommend the most romantic restaurant for a couple celebrating their anniversary and make reservations all without the person having to lift a finger. That, according to Marinelli, is the power of AI and one of the many ways Aion Sentia aims to redefine convenience.
Aion Sentia’s cognitive framework targets the management of primary user sectors including; mobility, energy, education, healthcare, digital services, and more. Thanks to the reasoning of MAIA and the advance graph based technology enabling the platform to rapidly adapt to user needs, the platform is highly flexible. An example of this is asking MAIA to analyze the user’s energy consumption for the month, and getting specific, personalized recommendations to reduce costs instantly without having to navigate through different applications or websites.
Starting in Abu Dhabi then expanding globally, Aion Sentia will launch in 18 months. Marinelli said that the initiative was based in the region due to Abu Dhabi’s regulatory framework, advanced digital ecosystem, and cybersecurity framework. “Here, people are not just open to innovation; they embrace it,” he stated, noting that the city’s infrastructure allows for the effortless incorporation of AI into the daily life of its citizens.
Unlike standard applications within smart cities, Aion Sentia strives to customize urban living experiences. MAIA functions as an orchestrator that connects users to public services, private entities, and even personal devices through one interface. MAIA can help with a multitude of things, ranging from reserving a table for dinner to powering devices down, or even sensing emergencies in real-time and alerting first responders. All of this takes place through conversation as if one is speaking with an astoundingly knowledgeable personal assistant.
The region will start as the primary hub, but there are plans for further expansion. Highlighting the vision to deploy the technology developed in Abu Dhabi to major cities in Europe and the rest of the US, Marinelli said, “Born in Abu Dhabi, exported to the world.” The goal is also to connect urban infrastructure—“not just connect, but orchestrate intelligently”—to transform the experience into a seamless personalized one for every resident.
Bold Technologies’s CEO Thani Al Thani Al Falasi remarks, “This initiative will help with the employment of UAE nationals, promote innovation at a local level and AI development on a national level.” Creating this ambition alongside My Aion Inc. really makes us excited.”
Besides that, the cooperation has plans to work with some other UAE universities to implement new training and upskilling programs to aid the development of the AI and digital technology Human Capital of the nation.
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