United Nations yesterday kicked off a global dialogue bringing together governments, tech companies, academia, civil society and the technical community to facilitate discussions on artificial intelligence governance.

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said 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.”

The inaugural session of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance (AI Dialogue) seeks to ensure that governance reflects the priorities of all nations, not just the most technologically advanced, and that the benefits of AI are shared by all.

Discussions will address various themes, including the opportunities and implications of this technology, how to bridge the AI divide, international cooperation on AI governance, and robust human oversight of AI systems, consistent with international law, to ensure safety and security.

President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, said: “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.

“If governed responsibly and collectively, AI has the potential to accelerate progress across nearly every Sustainable Development Goal, offering powerful new tools in healthcare, education, scientific research, disaster preparedness, and agriculture.”

AI is already being governed through national regulations, technical standards, procurement frameworks, and bilateral agreements, but unevenly. Governance frameworks have been shaped predominantly by countries with advanced AI sectors, while the countries most exposed to AI’s consequences have had the least say in how those frameworks are designed.

The AI Dialogue corrects that imbalance. Mandated by the UN General Assembly, it gives every government an equal seat. Developing countries and the Global South participate with full standing to shape outcomes — not as observers.

Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the UN and Co-Chair of the Dialogue, Egriselda López, noted that the credibility of this first Global Dialogue has been built through an open and participatory process that continues here in Geneva.

López said collective success will be defined by every voice, perspective, experience, and contribution that is shaping the path forward for AI.

Fellow Co-Chair and Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN, Rein Tammsaar, said: “Leveraging the convening power of the UN, 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. For this to happen, the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva should spark AI’s San Francisco moment.”

The dialogue takes place one week after the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence launched its preliminary report, handing the governments who convene there a shared evidence base to build policy from. The Panel, composed of independent scientists and experts from every region, outlines trends in AI and warns that current safeguards cannot keep pace with the growth of AI’s capabilities.