The AI for Good Global Summit 2025, convened by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, brought together more than 11,000 in-person participants from 169 countries, with additional engagement online. Held alongside the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, the summit focused on strengthening international collaboration on AI governance, skill development, and standardization amid the continued rapid evolution of artificial intelligence technologies.
Speaking at the event, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin emphasized the role of inclusive dialogue in shaping AI as a tool for global benefit. The summit’s programming included the AI Governance Dialogue, organized in collaboration with 53 United Nations entities. The forum brought together ministers, government officials, and stakeholders from diverse regions, aiming to ensure that discussions on AI governance include representation from developing countries. The session was co-chaired by Majed Al Mesmar, Director-General of the UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and Anne Bouverot, France’s Special Envoy for Artificial Intelligence. A co-chairs’ summary emphasized the need for AI to align with objectives of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.
The event also marked the appointment of musician and entrepreneur will.i.am as the Goodwill Ambassador for the ITU’s AI Skills Coalition. The coalition aims to enhance AI-related capabilities among policymakers, regulators, industry professionals, and youth, with a target to train 10,000 individuals globally by 2025, focusing particularly on developing countries.
In the area of standards, the summit presented several initiatives intended to support the responsible deployment of AI technologies across sectors. The Global Initiative on AI for Food Systems was announced as a joint effort by ITU, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). This initiative seeks to leverage AI for improvements in agricultural productivity, resource efficiency, and global food security.
Two new resources focused on standards and policy frameworks for multimedia authenticity were released by the AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standardization Collaboration, which involves ITU, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and other contributors. These resources address challenges related to deepfake detection and verification of digital media provenance. To support coordination among standards bodies, ITU introduced the AI Standards Exchange Database, which compiles standards from ITU, ISO, IEC, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The database is intended to facilitate both development and practical application of AI standards.
