The United Nations has launched an effort to reshape the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI), seeking to reduce the dominance of a handful of technology superpowers and give every country an equal voice in writing the global rules that will govern one of the world’s fastest-growing technologies.
The inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance, which opened on Sunday in Geneva, brings together governments, technology companies, academics, civil society organisations and technical experts in what the UN describes as the first truly inclusive global platform for AI governance.
The move comes at a time when AI is transforming economies, public services and national security, yet the rules guiding its development have largely been shaped by countries with the most advanced AI industries, leaving developing nations with little influence despite being among those most affected by the technology.
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Opening the dialogue, António Guterres, UN secretary-general, warned that AI is advancing at a pace faster than governments can regulate.
“AI is advancing at runaway speed. The question is whether we will govern it together or let it govern us. For the first time, the AI Dialogue gives every country a seat at the table. We must now turn global participation into global action to make AI safer, fairer, more accessible and more ethical,” Guterres said.
His remarks reflect growing international concern that AI governance is becoming concentrated among a small number of technologically advanced countries and multinational technology firms whose decisions increasingly influence economies and societies across the globe.
The UN wants governments from Africa, Asia, Latin America and other developing regions to participate equally in creating international principles that will guide AI development.
The discussions are expected to focus on narrowing the widening AI divide between advanced and developing economies, promoting international cooperation, strengthening human oversight of AI systems and ensuring that AI deployment remains consistent with international law and human rights.
Annalena Baerbock, president of the UN General Assembly, described the gathering as more than a conversation about technology.
“This Global Dialogue is not merely about regulating a technology. It is about defining a shared vision in which technological progress goes hand in hand with human dignity, equity and sustainable development,” she said.
According to Baerbock, responsibly governed AI has the potential to accelerate progress in healthcare, education, agriculture, disaster preparedness and scientific research while helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The dialogue follows growing criticism that existing AI governance structures have evolved unevenly across the world.
Although countries are already introducing national AI laws, technical standards and bilateral agreements, these efforts remain fragmented, with much of the agenda driven by nations that dominate AI research, computing infrastructure and investment.
The UN believes the new dialogue will help correct that imbalance by ensuring that countries with limited AI capabilities can contribute meaningfully to global policymaking instead of merely adopting rules created elsewhere.
Egriselda López, co-chair of the dialogue and permanent representative of El Salvador to the UN, said the legitimacy of the initiative rests on broad participation from every stakeholder.
“The credibility of this first Global Dialogue has been built through an open and participatory process. Our collective success will be defined by every voice, perspective, experience and contribution shaping the path forward for AI,” she said.
Her co-chair, Estonia’s permanent representative to the UN, Rein Tammsaar, said the international community must seize the opportunity to transform AI into what he described as a global public good.
“Leveraging the convening power of the United Nations, we must start transforming artificial intelligence into a global public good that benefits all of humanity while ensuring safety by design and meaningful human oversight,” Tammsaar said.
He added that the Geneva meeting should become AI’s “San Francisco moment”, a reference to the city widely regarded as the global centre of AI innovation.
The dialogue builds on six months of worldwide consultations that began in January this year.
According to the UN, more than 1,500 written submissions were received from governments, universities, private companies, researchers, civil society organisations and technical experts representing every region of the world.
The consultations revealed significant differences in priorities among stakeholders.
Governments ranked capacity building as their highest priority, reflecting concerns that many countries still lack the technical expertise and infrastructure needed to participate fully in the AI revolution.
Most other stakeholder groups, however, placed AI safety first, followed by transparency, accountability and stronger human oversight.
Participants also highlighted the need to address the technology’s wider social, economic, ethical, cultural and linguistic implications.
One of the strongest messages emerging from the consultations was the demand for continuity, with more than 500 submissions calling for the global dialogue to continue beyond its inaugural meeting.
The discussions also come just one week after the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence released a preliminary report warning that AI capabilities are evolving faster than existing safeguards.
The panel, made up of 40 independent scientists selected from more than 2,600 applicants worldwide, concluded that governments urgently need stronger international cooperation to manage AI risks while ensuring the technology remains beneficial to society.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, said international cooperation must accompany technological advancement if AI is to benefit everyone.
She noted that around 2.2 billion people remain disconnected from the digital world and warned that without inclusive governance, AI could deepen existing global inequalities.
Khaled El-Enany, director-general of UNESCO, also stressed that global AI governance is essential to protect cultural and linguistic diversity, ensuring that AI strengthens rather than erodes humanity’s rich heritage.
Meanwhile, Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for digital and emerging technologies, described the opening of the dialogue as a turning point for international cooperation on emerging technologies.
He said the combination of an independent scientific panel and a global forum where every government has an equal seat marks a significant shift in how the international community responds to transformative technologies.
For many developing countries, including those in Africa, the outcome of the Geneva dialogue could determine whether they become active participants in shaping AI’s future or remain rule takers in a rapidly expanding digital economy increasingly influenced by a handful of technology superpowers.
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