Organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with over 50 UN Sister Agencies and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland, the AI for Good Summit brings key stakeholders together “to harness AI’s potential to solve global challenges” and drive progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals as we approach 2030. The 2026 edition brought together over 12,000 participants from 177 countries.
According to the ITU, the “week celebrated breakthroughs in AI and digital innovation, uniting world leaders, tech pioneers, policymakers, civil society, and youth from around the globe. From cutting-edge technology showcases to historic discussions on AI governance, the events underscored a shared vision: ensuring AI and digital technologies benefit all of humanity.”
Throughout the week, the Institute engaged across high-level events, thematic panel discussions and presentations via the Tech Hub, the Global Governance Centre’s Digital Governance Lab, the TASC Platform — the Centre for Trade and Economic Integration’s Platform for Thinking Ahead on Societal Change, and the Centre for Digital Humanities and Multilateralism (CDHM). See the full list of events in which the Institute participated.
Discussing the Institute’s participation in the summit, Jérôme Duberry, Head of the Tech Hub, emphasised the need for “universities [to] provide spaces where emerging technologies are examined critically and collectively before they become embedded in policy routines, regulatory frameworks, and institutional practices.”
Emrys Schoemaker, Senior Research Fellow at the Global Governance Centre, who took part in multiple events said of the week:
The AI Summit made one thing clear: the question is no longer whether to govern AI globally, but which model of governance wins out — and who gets a seat as it's decided. A genuinely inclusive forum still left industry and citizens outside the room, and multistakeholder participation can't be an afterthought between sessions. That's precisely the gap the Citizens' Track for AI governance and our new Global Digital Governance Lab here at the Geneva Graduate Institute are working to close.
Kitrhona Cerri, Executive Director of the TASC Platform, said:
If AI governance is to be meaningful, it can no longer stop at regulating the use of AI systems. As AI development becomes increasingly distributed, governance must reach design choices. That means understanding who is shaping AI systems today, how responsibility is shared across the AI value chain, and how organisations can build accountability, transparency and trust while managing risk from the outset.
Researchers of the Centre for Digital Humanities and Multilateralism (CDHM) presented ongoing work on the Minutes of Multilateralism (MoM) platform, outlining how new AI-driven tools can support researchers, practitioners, and citizens in navigating the history of multilateral diplomacy. Read more.
Learn more about the Geneva Graduate Institute’s activities on AI, Executive Education AI pathway, the Tech Hub, the Centre for Digital Humanities and Multilateralism, the Global Digital Governance Lab, and the TASC Platform.