'Every country has a seat at the table': UN launches first AI governance dialogue

The United Nations has launched its first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, marking the beginning of a new multilateral platform designed to give every member state an equal role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence governance.

The inaugural meeting, held in Geneva, brings together governments, technology companies, academia, civil society and the technical community to discuss AI safety, accountability, human oversight and international cooperation. According to the United Nations, the initiative aims to ensure AI governance reflects the priorities of all countries, rather than being driven solely by nations with advanced AI capabilities.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the dialogue as a critical step towards building a shared global approach to governing rapidly advancing AI technologies.

"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," Guterres said.

Platform aims to make AI governance more inclusive

The dialogue has been established under a United Nations General Assembly mandate through Resolution A/RES/79/325, creating the first recurring global forum where member states and relevant stakeholders can exchange experiences and develop common approaches to AI governance.

According to the UN, existing AI governance has largely evolved through national regulations, technical standards, procurement policies and bilateral agreements. Many developing nations, despite being significantly affected by AI's growing influence, have had limited opportunities to shape those frameworks.

The new platform seeks to address this imbalance by ensuring governments from the Global South participate on equal footing in discussions on future AI governance.

Wide-ranging agenda covers safety and human oversight

Over two days, participants will deliberate on several policy priorities surrounding artificial intelligence. Key discussion areas include:

• AI safety and security
• Accountability and transparency
• Meaningful human oversight of AI systems
• International cooperation on AI governance
• Bridging the global AI divide
• Social, economic, ethical, cultural and linguistic implications of AI
• Opportunities for AI to support sustainable development

According to the UN, discussions will also examine how AI governance can remain consistent with international law while ensuring technological innovation benefits societies worldwide.

Six months of consultations shaped the agenda

The first dialogue follows an extensive consultation process conducted between January and June 2026.

The UN said the preparatory process included governments, private sector organisations, civil society groups, academic institutions and members of the technical community across regional and thematic consultations.

Highlights from the consultation process include:

• More than 1,500 written submissions were received from organisations and individuals worldwide.
• Governments ranked capacity building as their highest priority.
• Most other stakeholder groups identified AI safety as their primary concern.
• Transparency, accountability and human oversight emerged among the highest-ranked priorities across submissions.
• More than 500 submissions called for the dialogue to continue beyond its inaugural session.

According to the UN, these consultations helped shape the themes and priorities now being discussed in Geneva.

Scientific panel provides evidence base for policymakers

The dialogue takes place one week after the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence released its preliminary report.

The panel, comprising 40 independent experts selected from more than 2,600 applicants, provides governments with a shared scientific foundation for future AI policymaking.

The report highlights rapid advances in AI capabilities while cautioning that existing safeguards are struggling to keep pace with technological development.

The panel is co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio of Canada and Maria Ressa of the Philippines.

UN leaders call for responsible global cooperation

Senior UN officials used the opening session to emphasise the need for collective governance rather than fragmented regulation.

Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, said the dialogue extends beyond regulating technology and focuses on creating a shared vision where technological progress supports human dignity, equity and sustainable development.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said AI governance should benefit everyone, including the 2.2 billion people who remain offline globally.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany stressed the importance of ensuring AI strengthens, rather than weakens, the world's cultural and linguistic diversity.

Meanwhile, Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, described the opening of the dialogue as a milestone for international digital cooperation.

He said the Global Digital Compact has created two new global mechanisms: an independent scientific panel on AI and a multilateral dialogue where every government can participate in shaping AI governance.

The Global Dialogue on AI Governance forms part of the UN's wider Digital Week in Geneva alongside the AI for Good Global Summit and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum. As AI adoption accelerates across industries and public services, the outcomes of these discussions are expected to inform future international cooperation on making artificial intelligence safer, more inclusive and accountable.