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Robots, futurists and an Apple co-founder: Moscow prepares for the BRICS Urban Future Forum
This year’s forum, themed “The Technological Framework of the City,” will spotlight robotics and artificial intelligence as the key drivers of urban transformation through 2040
- PUBLISHED: Thu 18 Sept 2025, 2:45 PM
The Russian capital is set to host the third BRICS Urban Future Forum, bringing together more than 320 global experts, government representatives, business leaders, and innovators from over 35 countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
This year’s forum, themed “The Technological Framework of the City,” will spotlight robotics and artificial intelligence as the key drivers of urban transformation through 2040. Discussions will center on how rapid advances in automation, robotics, and digital platforms are reshaping production, labor, and social systems, and redefining the future of megacities.
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Among the distinguished speakers is Dr Kate Barker, chief futurist of NEOM and strategic advisor to the UAE government and Fortune 500 companies. Drawing on her experience in developing futuristic cities, Dr Barker will explore the integration of robotics, AI, and the platform economy into urban ecosystems, and address challenges of adapting megacities to hybrid worlds with robots, air taxis, and virtual services.
The programme will also feature Yanis Varoufakis, economist and author of the concept of “techno-feudalism.” Varoufakis will highlight how machine learning algorithms have fueled the dominance of digital platforms, creating new economic models where platform owners extract “cloud rent” and users risk becoming “cloud serfs.”
The Forum builds on the success of last year’s edition, which welcomed more than 13,000 participants and led to key technology transfer agreements between Russian innovators and international partners, including Egypt’s tech sector and high-profile collaborations with Dubai Chambers, Corporate Group, and Game Art Pioneers.
The BRICS Urban Future Forum serves as a global platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the forging of international partnerships. Its main objectives are to showcase cutting-edge solutions for megacities, strengthen cross-border collaboration, and outline strategies for building smarter, more sustainable, and more resilient urban environments.
