The conversation
This keynote sets out the transition from reactive smart-city systems to cognitive cities designed to anticipate human needs. Yousef argues that the main premise of a cognitive city is that the city revolves around the person rather than forcing the person to navigate fragmented systems.
The data challenge is substantial: contemporary cities often use only a small fraction of what they generate because information remains siloed. Predictive urban services require a much fuller and more trusted data foundation, together with consent and citizen control.
NEOM is presented as a testing ground for this model. The keynote explores THE LINE, TROJENA, SINDALAH, and OXAGON, as well as the use of generative AI and digital twins to test designs before construction. TONOMUS technologies including ADASSA, SAFANA, and ARAMUS illustrate locally developed capability across computer vision, digital-human interfaces, and Arabic language intelligence.
Key arguments
A cognitive city must be proactive and predictive rather than merely connected.
Urban intelligence depends on unlocking far more of the data cities already generate.
Digital twins and generative design allow leaders to test choices before committing physical capital.
Privacy, granular consent, and citizen control are non-negotiable foundations of adoption.