You’ve likely heard of the Cannes Film Festival, but what about the World AI Cannes Festival? The World AI Cannes Festival is a conference and exhibition dedicated to championing the latest innovations in artificial intelligence. The World AI Cannes Festival hosted its fifth edition from February 12th to 13th 2026, featuring innovative exhibitions and a program packed with renowned speakers and fascinating topics.

AI for health

One of the key focus areas at the World AI Cannes Festival 2026 was how artificial intelligence can support the healthcare industry. There were numerous talks and panel discussions featuring industry experts exploring various aspects of the topic.

Various industry experts across the tech and healthcare sectors, including AstraZeneca, led a talk on What healtech will transform next. This discussion explored how AI is innovating healthcare and pharmaceutical development towards more precise and efficient care.  

Another notable panel discussion was Intelligent hospitals and patient care integration, which explored the concept of the intelligent hospital. The panel discussed how AI integration could improve efficiency and patient outcomes in a hospital environment.


AI for creativity

Unlike your typical tech conference, the World AI Cannes Festival 2026 hosted the renowned electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre. Rather than a musical performance, Jean-Michel Jarre spoke on the concept of Augmented Imagination. In this talk, Jean-Michel Jarre explored how AI can expand the boundaries of creativity.

Meanwhile, companies on the exhibition floor also demonstrated how AI can be used for creativity. One notable AI solution was Skribi, a tool for transforming memories into personalised storybooks. This is a wonderful tool for seniors or families, or even sentimental folk who need some extra help with the creative side of things.

AI for the future

The World AI Cannes Festival 2026 offered a valuable glimpse into the future of artificial intelligence. Whilst many talks naturally gravitated towards the future, some notable discussions directly explored the future of AI across different sectors.

One panel discussion, Are world models the next big leap for AI? explored the emergence of world-based AI models and what this could mean going forward. Meanwhile, Mastercard hosted a talk titled How is agentic automation set to revolutionise digital commerce? which explored future possibilities of how AI can support businesses.

Looking ahead

The World AI Cannes Festival 2026 put the spotlight on artificial intelligence innovation. This 2026 conference demonstrated how AI can be implemented across sectors and industries to push the boundaries of possibility and help us achieve our goals.