Abu dhabi: Sandy Climan, CEO of Entertainment Media Ventures, has lauded the BRIDGE Summit 2025 as an innovative initiative aimed at fostering a global community and initiating ongoing dialogue on the rapid changes affecting media, entertainment, and communication.
According to Emirates News Agency, Climan highlighted the radical shifts the world is experiencing due to technology, evolving consumer behavior, and societal transformations anticipated to persist in the coming decades. He emphasized that global connectivity has transcended physical travel, evolving into a digitally interconnected world where diverse cultures are increasingly embracing each other through a shared digital platform. Climan warned that the use of technology could lead to either utopian or dystopian outcomes, contingent on governance, ethics, and collective decision-making.
Climan asserted that the primary objective of such gatherings should be to promote critical thinking regarding how audiences consume information, how societies adapt, and whether emerging tools, including artificial intelligence, will be used to weaken or expand human connection. He underscored the strategic role of Abu Dhabi and the greater GCC region as a crossroads not just for east and west but in all directions, highlighting the region's youthfulness, optimism, dialogue, and creativity.
Addressing the issue of misinformation, Climan noted the potential for AI to exacerbate existing challenges but also recognized its capacity to serve as a powerful tool for global education and training. He stressed the importance of closing the digital divide and preparing young people to leverage technology for self-improvement and lifelong learning.
Climan, who founded Entertainment Media Ventures in 1999, has held various senior executive roles across the entertainment industry, including positions at Creative Artists Agency, Universal Studios, and MGM. He has been instrumental in pioneering digital filmmaking and has produced notable works such as 'U2 3D' and 'The Aviator,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese, earning him accolades such as a Golden Globe and a British Academy Award.