UN agency for digital technologies rallies global AI leaders to address the opportunities and risks presented by AI agents, low-cost AI models, and the next wave of accelerated AI development.

GENEVA, Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new wave of autonomous AI—capable of reasoning, acting independently, and scaling at unprecedented speed—is rapidly reshaping the technological landscape. The rise of "agentic AI" and powerful, low-cost AI models is making artificial intelligence cheaper, more widely available, and potentially more energy efficient—but also harder to regulate. With some prominent CEOs predicting human-level AI within two to three years, concerns are mounting over safety risks, weakened guardrails, and the challenge of responsible governance.

Global Summit

These pressing issues will be at the centre of the AI for Good Global Summit 2025, the United Nations' leading platform advancing AI in service of sustainable development, in Geneva, Switzerland from 8 to 11 July 2025. The four-day gathering will also showcase progress on advanced robotics, autonomous mobility, quantum computing, AI in space, and brain-computer interfaces.

Organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency for digital technologies, the goal of AI for Good is to identify trustworthy applications of AI, build AI skills and standards, and strengthen global dialogue on AI governance for sustainable development.

"As AI development accelerates, so does the urgency to keep innovation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. "AI for Good is where the world comes together to ensure these technologies are safe, responsible, and leave no one behind."

Tackling AI's biggest questions

At the AI for Good Global Summit 2025, leading experts from governments, industry, academia, civil society, and the UN will explore how AI is reshaping our world, tackling urgent challenges such as safety, employment, sustainability, privacy, security, governance, and its broader societal and economic impacts.

Among the AI visionaries set to present are Geoffrey Hinton, AI pioneer and Nobel Prize winner; Yoshua Bengio, Founder and Scientific Director of Mila – Quebec AI Institute and Turing Award winner; Sasha Luccioni, AI & Climate Lead of open-source AI developer Hugging Face; and other prominent voices on AI. The full list of speakers is here.

Acting on global AI priorities

Responding to the Global Digital Compact, adopted last year by the UN General Assembly, the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 will provide a global platform for dialogue to advance AI governance, standards, and capacity building. As AI adoption accelerates, the Summit aims to inform policies and drive solutions that ensure AI is developed and deployed responsibly, fairly, and for the benefit of all.

Yet, a global AI governance gap persists—an ITU survey found that 55% of Member States lack a national AI strategy, and 85% have no AI-specific regulations. To address this, the Summit will host ITU's second AI Governance Day on 10 July, focusing on safety, trust, international standards, and bridging the regulatory gap, while also tackling the urgent need to build AI skills and capacity, especially in developing countries.

On 11 July, the Summit will host an International AI Standards Exchange, bringing together leading global standards bodies to strengthen AI's technical backbone and the newly established AI for Good Awards, presented in partnership with Tech to the Rescue.

Demonstrations of robots, drones, and AI innovations can be found here.

The AI for Good Global Summit 2025 is supported by its partners and sponsors:

  • Co-Convener: Swiss Confederation

  • Diamond Sponsor: Microsoft Corporation

  • Gold Sponsor: Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) Republic of Korea, Japan 

  • Networking and Session Partners: Cisco Systems, Inc., International Health Charity Association (IHCA), FSAB Consulting, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights 

  • Innovation Factory Local Chapters: Mellifera, AkBank, Government of Catalonia, Innovate Australia 

  • Supporters: Team Extension, Swisslog, KUKA

Editor's Notes: 

  • Media accreditation can be requested here. UN-accredited reporters with a valid UN badge can also write to pressreg@itu.int.

  • Registration for the public is open.

  • The digital media kit is available here. 

About ITU:

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 194 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, it is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. Learn more: www.itu.int

Contact:
Chris Cartwright
Tel. +41 78 800 6290
E: christopher.cartwright@itu.int 

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