The United Nations has formally initiated its first Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (UNGDAI) in Geneva, aiming to coordinate international AI governance efforts. This new forum draws directly on lessons from the long-standing World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process, which crafted multistakeholder governance frameworks for the Internet over the last 20 years. The UNGDAI seeks to create inclusive, transparent dialogue among governments, companies, civil society, and other stakeholders on how to govern AI in a development-focused, people-centered manner.
What Happened
From July 6 to 10, 2025, Geneva hosted both the annual WSIS Forum and the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI, marking the UN’s first formal, high-level global convening dedicated to AI governance. The UNGDAI brought together state officials, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives to discuss international collaboration, share governance best practices, and facilitate open dialogue on AI safety, equity, and rights. This event was designed intentionally to coincide with the WSIS Forum to leverage decades of Internet governance experience as a foundation for AI policy discussions.
Key Facts
The UNGDAI is convened under the umbrella of the United Nations and benefits from a secretariat comprising various relevant UN agencies. Its agenda is structured around four thematic pillars: AI opportunities and implications, bridging AI divides, safe and trustworthy AI, and respecting human rights in AI deployment. The WSIS+20 Outcome Document, from the WSIS review in 2024, provided key recommendations to guide inclusive digital governance, emphasizing multistakeholderism and support for Global South priorities. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), renewed permanently by the WSIS+20 review, continues to serve as an integral model and platform for multistakeholder dialogue. The UNGDAI plans a follow-up event in New York in May 2027 with expanded global participation.
What This Means
The launch of the UNGDAI represents a significant step toward global AI governance by embedding inclusivity and development-related priorities into international regulatory discussions. Reflecting on the WSIS process emphasizes the importance of involving diverse stakeholders, including marginalized Global South communities, which have historically struggled to influence digital policy decision-making. By adopting a flexible, principles-based approach rather than imposing rigid standards or centralized authority, the UNGDAI could foster cooperative frameworks that respect regional differences and support local capacity-building.
This new dialogue also signals a recognition that AI governance requires broad coordination—not only addressing technological risks and opportunities but also tackling social inequalities and human rights protection from the outset. The event’s focus on measurable outcomes and accountability mechanisms seeks to avoid the WSIS criticism of producing dialogue with insufficient real-world impact. If successful, the UNGDAI could unify the patchwork of existing AI governance efforts globally, helping to align standards, share best practices, and monitor implementation progress transparently.
Background
The WSIS was convened starting in 2003 to construct a comprehensive, multistakeholder approach to digital policy, culminating in frameworks such as the Geneva Declaration Principles. WSIS promoted an open Internet governance model with input from governments, the private sector, and civil society, establishing ongoing mechanisms like the Internet Governance Forum. Despite this, WSIS has faced challenges in delivering concrete outcomes to close digital divides or regulate the expanding commercial and geopolitical dimensions of the digital ecosystem. Its 20-year review process, concluded in 2024 with the WSIS+20 Outcome Document, called for strengthening inclusive dialogue and accountability—lessons now informing the UNGDAI design.
What Remains Unclear
While the initial UNGDAI gathering has laid groundwork for a promising multistakeholder dialogue, several details remain to be determined. These include formal mechanisms for tracking commitments and ensuring accountability among participating actors, how the UNGDAI will coordinate or integrate with other AI governance initiatives worldwide, and concrete methods to sustain inclusive Global South and marginalized community involvement over successive dialogues. Additionally, the extent to which the UNGDAI will influence binding international AI regulations versus serving as a consultative platform has yet to be clarified.
What Comes Next
The second UN Global Dialogue on AI is scheduled for May 2027 in New York, with organizers intending to broaden participation and deepen thematic discussions. Between now and then, the UNGDAI secretariat and co-chairs will continue consultations with member states and civil society to refine the dialogue’s scope and structure. Efforts to align the UNGDAI with existing multistakeholder digital governance platforms such as the IGF will be pivotal to maintaining continuity and leveraging established networks for meaningful AI oversight.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following sources:
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