Former Chief Business Officer of Google X, bestselling author, and AI expert Mo Gawdat has joined the speaker lineup for Fintech Forward 2026 (FF26).
The flagship financial services forum takes place on October 7–8 at Exhibition World Bahrain under the theme ‘Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure’.
Mr Gawdat, who spent 27 years in leadership roles across IBM, NCR, Microsoft, and Google, will deliver a fireside chat titled ‘When Intelligence Is Everywhere: What Should Humans Still Decide?’
The session will focus on the ethical implications, trust, and accountability of embedding AI across financial services, examining where human judgment remains critical as automated systems handle risk, investing, and customer interactions.
Speaking on his participation, Mr Gawdat said: “AI is no longer a distant technology; it is becoming part of the infrastructure behind our choices, our institutions, and our financial systems. The real test is not simply how powerful these systems become, but whether we remain clear about the decisions that require human judgement and values.”
Mr Gawdat is widely recognised for his work at Google X — where he oversaw moonshot projects like self-driving vehicles—as well as his bestselling books, including Solve for Happy and Scary Smart, and his global initiative, the One Billion Happy movement.
The announcement comes as Bahrain continues to consolidate its position as a leading regional hub for financial innovation. Financial services represents the kingdom’s largest non-oil economic sector, contributing 17.6 per cent to GDP in 2025. Bahrain has pioneered several regulatory frameworks in the region, including open banking, crypto-asset, and stablecoin regulations.
Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), Tamkeen, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA), and Bahrain Fintech Bay, FF26 is programmed by the Forbes Middle East. The forum brings together global thought leaders, policymakers, investors, and industry executives to discuss the future of intelligent infrastructure in finance.
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