Will Smith at the Billion Followers Summit 2026: Future societies must be built around humans

Dubai, January 10 / WAM / International star Will Smith stressed that technology, no matter how advanced it is, cannot replace a person or his emotional experience, stressing that the essence of any real technical progress lies in its ability to serve the “human story” and enhance communication between people, not in replacing feelings or values.

Smith said that fear is the greatest enemy of dreams, and that the ability to accept discomfort is the key to discovering beauty and happiness, whether in life, at work, or in building the future.

This came during a session entitled “From the Pole to Sustainable Cities,” within the activities of the fourth edition of the One Billion Followers Summit, the largest global summit in the content industry economy, which is organized by the UAE Government Media Office, and hosted by the United Arab Emirates over a period of 3 days and concludes its work tomorrow, in the Emirates Towers, the Dubai International Financial Center, and the Museum of the Future, in Dubai, under the slogan “Purposeful Content.”

Fares Saeed, Chairman and CEO of C Holding, the developer of the Sustainable City project in Dubai, participated in the session alongside Will Smith, while the session was moderated by Khaled Al Ameri, the content creator and Emirati influencer and Ambassador of the One Billion Followers Summit, in a dialogue that combined the deep human experience and the future vision for sustainable cities.

International star Will Smith expressed his deep love for the city of Dubai, stressing that it holds a special place in his heart, describing it as one of his favorite cities in the world, along with Miami.

He said that Dubai possesses a unique human and creative energy, and includes “hidden gems” that reflect the spirit of innovation and diversity, noting that the “Sustainable City” represents an inspiring model for this trend.

Will Smith reviewed his exceptional journey from pole to pole, and his human experience in exploring the seven continents within 100 days, speaking about the profound lessons he learned from confronting nature, fear, and harsh conditions, which he described as a journey of self-discovery as much as it is a journey to discover the planet.

Smith said that the experiences he had in the most extreme environments, from diving under the ice in the Arctic to the depths of the Amazon jungle, taught him that fear prevents a person from enjoying life, adding: “If we are not prepared to enter frightening areas, we will not be able to love, we will not succeed in building businesses, and we will not achieve our dreams.”

He explained that the greatest thing he learned was how to manage the mind in moments of danger and anxiety, because controlling thoughts is the first step towards liberation.

Smith touched on the experience of filming the documentary in cooperation with “National Geographic” and “Disney,” describing this cooperation as “a dream come true,” as the project began from a purely scientific standpoint, before gradually turning into a profound spiritual and human journey.

He said that standing face to face in front of nature revealed to him the extent of the interconnectedness of everything in this world, from humans to the environment, and from simple societies to the most advanced civilizations.

Speaking about sustainability and the future of cities, Smith praised what he saw in the “Sustainable City” in Dubai, stressing that it represents an advanced model ahead of its time, and said that it preceded the world by at least ten years in the way of thinking about living in harmony with the planet.

He pointed out that future societies must be built around people and social relations, not around technology alone.

For his part, Fares Saeed stressed that the future of cities is moving towards what he described as the “post-artificial intelligence stage,” where technology will save time and resources for humans, allowing them to focus on culture, arts, and human communication.

Saeed explained that sustainability in its new concept is not limited to energy, water, and food, but also includes society, education, and attention to different groups, especially people of determination.

Fares Saeed recalled the saying of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him: “The future is for those who can imagine, design and implement it,” which constitutes the intellectual framework from which sustainability projects in Dubai are launched, stressing that this leadership approach is what enabled the emirate to transform into a global laboratory for future experiments and to build cities that put people and their quality of life at the top of priorities.

Will Smith concluded the session with a poignant humanitarian message, in which he called on the audience to pay attention to those around them, and to remember that everyone is going through hidden challenges, saying that a simple moment of compassion may be part of the solution, stressing that humanity will not succeed in facing the challenges of the future if people do not cooperate and support each other.

The fourth edition of the One Billion Followers Summit is witnessing great momentum, with an attendance of more than 30,000 people, the participation of more than 15,000 content creators and the most important Arab and international influencers, and more than 500 speakers followed by more than 3.5 billion followers, while the summit hosts 150 CEOs and international experts in its sessions and dialogues, and offers more than 580 keynote sessions, roundtables, interactive dialogue and workshops.

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