Perspectives from AIFOD Winter Edition at the United Nations

30th Jan 2025

Perspectives from AIFOD Winter Edition at the United Nations

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): A vital avenue for progress in the AI era.

It was a privilege to share the stage with Dr. Bilel Jamoussi, Deputy Director of the UN International Telecommunication Union (#ITU)—the oldest agency of the UN specialising on ICT, with a legacy of connecting the world since 1865.

Many of you may have watched or followed updates from Bilel at #WEF in Davos last week, where discussions on partnerships, technology, and AI took centre stage.


As Chair of the AI Education and AI Capacity Building Working Group at AIFOD Forum, I took away valuable insights from Bilel’s speech, which I believe deserve amplification:

Standards That Drive Innovation: Over 200 standards for PPP innovation models have been established under the UN #ITU, covering areas such as AI capacity building, policy frameworks, and governance models. These resources are invaluable and readily available on the g#ITU website—let’s use them instead of reinventing the wheel.


AI for Good Initiative: With a network of 40,000 individuals, this initiative is the UN’s flagship platform for advancing ethical AI for sustainable development. It is a treasure trove of resources to support trustworthy AI solutions globally.

Global Datasets for Ethical AI: PPPs must prioritise the creation of global datasets that are ethical, reliable, and inclusive—essential for building trustworthy, globally relevant AI systems.

AI Skills coalition announcement at Davos: hashtag#ITU, in partnership with over 30 organisations, announced the creation of an AI Skills Coalition, a crucial step towards democratising AI education and capacity building across diverse regions.

Addressing the Digital Divide: Alarmingly, 2.6 billion people remain unconnected to the internet. Initiatives such as UNICEF’s GIGA programme, which uses AI to map and connect schools in underserved communities, demonstrate the transformative role AI and PPPs can play in bridging this divide.

These insights reaffirm the transformative potential of public-private collaboration in addressing global challenges and fostering digital inclusion. I encourage everyone passionate about PPPs and innovation to explore these resources and join efforts to shape a more inclusive, connected future.

It has been both a proud and humbling experience to witness months of dedicated collaboration culminate in the formal publication of the Geneva Statement.

As Chair for AI Education and AI Capacity Building, it is an honour to see this shared vision come to fruition — ‘fostering inclusive growth, peace, and sustainable development in developing nations, in alignment with the Vienna Consensus’.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to my fellow chairs—Claudia Jacy Barenco Abbas, DrMary Walker,Larry Keating, and Committee Chair Bernardo Cartoni (FCIArb), my vice-chair Prof. Dr. Michael Gerlich and our wonderful working group members whose unwavering commitment made this monumental achievement possible. Your dedication continues to inspire me every day.


A special thanks to Antigua and Barbuda for their steadfast patronage and support to this mission. The forum was opened with a wonderful keynote address by His Excellency E. P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Immigration of Antigua and Barbuda.

I also wish to express my deepest gratitude to Andrea A. Jacobs, our Global Chair, for her exceptional support throughout this journey. It was great to connect with Curtis B. Charles, Ph.D., S.M.Arch.S., M.S.P.A. whose work continues to be an inspiration.

The Geneva Summit 2025 serves as a powerful reminder of the critical importance of AI education in empowering citizens, particularly across the Global South, while advancing tools to enhance AI awareness on a global scale. Together, we are building a future where AI becomes a genuine catalyst for positive, inclusive change.

It was distinct privilege to open day 2 of the forum with my address on Pathways to Algorithmic Autonomy and the crucial need balancing innovation and sovereignty.  I noted that Algorithmic autonomy is not just about independence — it’s about strategic empowerment in the global AI landscape.


Following my address, I had the honour of joining a panel discussion on ‘Autonomous Systems in the Digital Era’, moderated by my dear friend Claudia Jacy Barenco Abbas, Dr joined by Talita H., István Görgei and Jean-Simon Vesse.


We explored how AI is evolving to tackle complex tasks — from diagnosing diseases to optimising supply chains and autonomous driving. While these advancements hold immense promise, they also raise critical questions around accountability, control, ethics, and safety.

Few takeaways and challenges the panel touched upon:

  • Localised AI Optimisation – Tailoring models to regional languages, data, and needs. Challenge: Data scarcity and potential biases.
  • Vertical Domain Innovation – Developing specialised algorithms for industry-specific applications. Challenge: High R&D costs and slower adoption.
  • Open-Source Model Adaptation – Customising and leveraging open AI frameworks. Challenge: Dependence on external ecosystems may impact true independence.
  • A fascinating and timely discussion—looking forward to continuing the dialogue.

A special mention to Tianze ZHANG for his remarkable leadership and to Velynne Ji (Xingweilin Ji), whose extraordinary contributions continue to set a new records and milestones with every edition of this forum. See you in the United Nations at Vienna in 6 months.

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are entirely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any company, board, or institution with which the author is associated.

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