What will it take for every country to shape the future of AI, not just adopt it?
On 21 September, the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) convened the second annual Digital Cooperation Day during the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the General Assembly.
Under the theme “Shaping a Global AI Future Through Science, Policy, and Capacity,” the day brought together governments, the UN system, industry, academia, civil society and the technical community to advance implementation of the Global Digital Compact.
Opening the day, Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Gill framed the theme through three verbs: to know, to choose and to act.
“AI is not an uncontrollable force of nature,” he said. “It is built by humans. It can be steered by humans.”
More than 1,000 people attended Digital Cooperation Day, with 80 speakers across 18 sessions. In-person and remote participation reached 105 countries, with more than 4,700 remote livestream views. A networking activity also identified more than 695 connections between participants with complementary needs and expertise, with AI governance and standards emerging as the strongest area of overlap.
The programme launched the UN Blueprint for National AI Strategies, with Lesotho and Guinea showing how national ambition can translate into practical implementation, and a new ODET-UNDRR partnership on AI for disaster risk reduction, alongside sessions on open source AI, the future of work, and cross-border AI governance sandboxes.
The day closed with a focus on carrying new partnerships, evidence and practical initiatives forward beyond UNGA81, supporting continued implementation of the Global Digital Compact.
Explore photos from Digital Cooperation Day and rewatch the livestreams.
