UN Launches First Global Dialogue on AI Governance

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that artificial intelligence is advancing at an extraordinary pace, making international cooperation more important than ever.

The United Nations has launched its first Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, bringing together governments, technology companies, researchers, civil society organisations, and technical experts to shape a more inclusive approach to governing AI. The two-day meeting in Geneva aims to ensure that every country has a voice in determining how artificial intelligence develops and is used around the world.

Global platform gives every nation a voice on AI

The inaugural dialogue was established under a United Nations General Assembly mandate and marks the first global forum where all Member States participate as equals in discussions on AI governance.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that artificial intelligence is advancing at an extraordinary pace, making international cooperation more important than ever. He said the challenge facing the world is whether countries will govern AI together or allow the technology to shape society without adequate oversight. The discussions cover a wide range of issues, including AI safety, accountability, transparency, human oversight, international cooperation, and ways to narrow the digital divide so that developing nations can benefit from technological advances alongside more advanced economies.

President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock said the initiative goes beyond regulating technology, describing it as an opportunity to create a shared global vision where innovation supports human dignity, equality, and sustainable development. She noted that responsibly governed AI could accelerate progress in healthcare, education, scientific research, disaster preparedness, and agriculture.

Six months of consultations shape the agenda

The dialogue follows six months of worldwide consultations involving governments, academics, technology companies, civil society groups, and technical experts. More than 1,500 written submissions were received from organisations and individuals representing every region of the world.

The consultations revealed different priorities among participants. Governments placed the strongest emphasis on capacity building, while most other stakeholder groups ranked AI safety as their highest concern. Transparency, accountability, meaningful human oversight, and the social, economic, ethical, cultural, and linguistic impacts of AI also emerged as major themes.

More than 500 submissions called for the dialogue to continue beyond its inaugural session, reflecting broad support for creating a permanent international platform on AI governance.

The event also follows the release of a preliminary report by the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, which warned that existing safeguards are struggling to keep pace with the rapid growth of AI capabilities. The panel consists of 40 independent experts selected from more than 2,600 applicants worldwide and is co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio of Canada and Maria Ressa of the Philippines.

International cooperation seen as essential for AI's future

Officials from across the UN system stressed that global cooperation will be essential if artificial intelligence is to benefit everyone rather than deepen existing inequalities.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said AI governance must include the 2.2 billion people who remain without internet access, ensuring digital transformation benefits all communities rather than only those already connected.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany highlighted the importance of protecting the world's cultural and linguistic diversity as AI systems become more widespread, arguing that global governance is needed to ensure technology reflects the richness of human cultures instead of diminishing them.

UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill described the launch of the dialogue as a turning point for international cooperation on AI. He said the combination of an independent scientific panel and a global forum where every government has an equal voice creates an unprecedented opportunity to develop shared approaches to one of the world's most transformative technologies.

The Global Dialogue forms part of Geneva's wider Digital Week, taking place alongside the AI for Good Global Summit and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum, with support from ITU, UNESCO, the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.