Bridge Summit 2025 kicks off in Abu Dhabi, declaring a new era for global media / Image: File
Abu Dhabi’s BRIDGE Summit opened today (Dec 8, 2025), bringing together creators, platforms, investors and stars to map how AI, creators and global storytelling will reshape media. The three-day event mixes headliner keynotes, hands-on sessions and dealmaking, and the tone is unapologetically ambitious.
Day 1 Abu Dhabi’s Bridge Summit
The Bridge Summit 2025 officially kicked off today at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), immediately setting a bold tone for the future of global media. Running for three days, the event has attracted a massive convergence of over 60,000 creatives, media specialists, artists, investors, and entrepreneurs. The scale is truly global, with more than 400 speakers, including policymakers and innovation leaders, and attendees from 182 countries. Organizers emphasized that the summit is designed to be the global industry’s new home, a dedicated space for forging high-value partnerships, developing production ecosystems, and exchanging expertise. As stated in the evocative opening film, the message is clear: “Abu Dhabi is not looking toward the future; it is building it.”
Idris Elba empowering Africa
A major highlight was the panel featuring Hollywood superstar Idris Elba, who stated he views his own identity as a “bridge” between his heritage, the stories he tells, and global audiences. His core mission is to empower African creators and rewrite the continent’s global narrative, which has long suffered from misrepresentation. Elba identified a critical issue: many African creators who achieve viral success are blocked from receiving earnings by banking restrictions and digital barriers. To solve this practical problem, he created Akunna (named after his middle name), a platform centered around the Akunna Wallet designed to ensure creators can actually be paid for their work.
$2.8 trillion revolution
The opening sessions underscored the sheer economic power of the sector, noting that global media and entertainment generated over $2.8 trillion last year. The line between traditional creative fields is rapidly blurring; today, musicians are becoming developers, and filmmakers are building immersive digital worlds. Key discussions centered on technology, revealing that nearly 70% of content creators are already utilizing AI tools in their work.Speakers explored AI’s promise for efficiency and scaling creativity, but also highlighted the associated risks to integrity, authorship, and truth. The consensus was that while AI is a powerful tool, the priority must be establishing frameworks to guide its ethical use and rebuild trust in an age of deepfakes and misinformation.
‘Leapfrog’ advantage
Elba stressed that Africa has a unique advantage: the ability to “leapfrog” old infrastructure and build entirely new creative systems, citing the global success of Afrobeats as powerful proof. He argued that the potential for African gaming and fantasy is immense because it operates on a “blank canvas.” However, he sharply criticized the lack of governmental support, pointing out that some African nations still do not have a dedicated film policy. His message to policymakers was direct: if you want a healthy creative ecosystem, you need infrastructure, distribution, and protection, not just conversation. He concluded that while AI is not the enemy, “actual intelligence is more powerful than artificial intelligence,” and requires strong frameworks to maintain authentic human creativity.Beyond panels, BRIDGE is a marketplace: organisers expect the summit to catalyse MoUs, studio deals and investment into production hubs and creative platforms. Abu Dhabi’s push to host the event signals a strategic shift, the emirate wants to be a media-tech crossroads that connects capital, talent and festivals. Go to Source
