The Government today hosted the AI Futures & Foresight Conference.

A statement from the Government follows below:

Gibraltar today reinforced its ambition to take a responsible lead in the adoption of artificial intelligence, following the successful delivery of the AI Futures & Foresight Conference, a high-level, invitation-only gathering of senior leaders from  across government, regulation and industry. 

The conference builds on months of work already undertaken by the Ministry of Justice, Trade  and Industry to advance AI initiatives focused on innovation, skills and smart regulation, and was  delivered as a joint initiative between the HM Government of Gibraltar and Numero Partners, in  collaboration with global learning and transformation organisation Hyper Island. 

It brought together C-suite executives and senior decision-makers from financial services,  insurance, gambling, distributed ledger technology (DLT), telecommunications, law, professional  services and technology to explore how artificial intelligence can be adopted responsibly,  competitively and with long-term confidence in a highly regulated environment. 

The conference was made possible with the support of its founding sponsors Gibtelecom, Xapo  Bank and Hassans International Law Firm whose continued investment in leadership, innovation  and skills development reflects the importance of cross-sector collaboration in shaping Gibraltar’s  future economy. 

Opening the conference, Matt Parkes, Co Founder of Numero Partners, framed the day around a  shared leadership challenge: while AI capability has moved rapidly through organisations,  leadership understanding and alignment have not always kept pace. 

“This moment is not about leaders becoming technologists,” Parkes said. “It’s about leaders gaining  perspective, understanding what AI can do, where it creates value, where it doesn’t, and how we  harness our people rather than sideline them. Gibraltar has an opportunity to lead by choosing  alignment over hype, and responsibility over reaction.” 

Parkes noted that most organisations represented at the conference are already deploying AI  across their operations, often effectively, but that the pace of adoption has highlighted the need  for leaders to step back, compare approaches across sectors and align around shared principles. 

He then invited the Hon Nigel Feetham, Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, to formally  commence the conference.

Minister Feetham welcomed delegates and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working  alongside industry to ensure that AI adoption strengthens Gibraltar’s competitiveness, broadens  its economic base and safeguards long-term prosperity. 

“Our ambition is for Gibraltar not just to adapt to AI, but to take a responsible lead in how it is  adopted,” Minister Feetham said following the conference. “This conference builds on the work  the Ministry has already been advancing in recent months, focused on innovation, skills and smart  regulation. By bringing together global expertise and local leadership, we are creating the insight  and foresight needed to prosper in this new era.” 

Throughout the day, participants engaged in expert-led sessions designed to cut through hype and  establish a shared, practical understanding of what AI means for leadership decision-making.  Discussions explored the strategic trade-offs leaders face including speed versus safety,  innovation versus credibility, and experimentation versus enterprise value, particularly within  regulated industries. 

Delegates also took part in structured foresight and scenario work examining the future of AI in  Gibraltar, considering how governance, trust and economic vitality could evolve over the coming  years. A closing fireside discussion enabled senior industry leaders to share candid reflections on  AI adoption to date, highlighting practical lessons learned and the realities of implementation. 

The importance of the conference was further underlined by the attendance of His Excellency the  Governor of Gibraltar, alongside senior representatives from His Majesty’s Government and key  stakeholders from across Gibraltar’s economy. 

The conference concluded with a shared recognition that Gibraltar does not face an AI adoption  problem, but an alignment opportunity, one that can only be realised through continued  collaboration between Government, regulators and industry. 

The AI Futures & Foresight Conference marks the next step in a wider collaboration to embed AI  literacy, leadership alignment and responsible innovation across Gibraltar’s key sectors.