In recent years, global debates on digital governance have multiplied. For nearly two decades, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has been a central platform for open, multistakeholder dialogue on Internet issues. In 2025, the UN General Assembly expanded this ecosystem by establishing two new mechanisms focused specifically on artificial intelligence:
- An Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, to provide evidence-based assessments.
- A Global Dialogue on AI Governance, to convene governments and stakeholders around policy discussions.
This move reflects the international community’s recognition that AI requires dedicated mechanisms to both harness opportunities and mitigate risks.
What Happened at the UN
On 26 August 2025, during its seventy-ninth session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing both the AI Panel and the Global Dialogue (document A/79/L.118). The decision was supported broadly across regions, with delegates highlighting complementary priorities:
- Group of 77 and China emphasized AI’s potential for public services, health, and education, conditional on fairness, inclusivity, and capacity-building for developing countries.
- European Union welcomed the decision as a strong signal of UN relevance and stressed the importance of scientific independence and multistakeholder participation.
Together, these perspectives underscore a global commitment to balancing innovation with equity.
The Positions of Major Actors
- United States has historically favored light-touch, innovation-friendly governance, emphasizing competitiveness and voluntary standards.
- China has positioned itself as an agenda-setter, framing AI as an international public good, while promoting infrastructure and open platforms in the Global South.
- Other Regions reflect diverse priorities: the EU’s AI Act emphasizes rights and democratic values; the African Union stresses inclusion and skills; Latin America warns of “development traps”; and the Arab States emphasize sovereignty and cultural identity.
These differences show that the global governance of AI is not being shaped in a vacuum, but through the interplay of diverse priorities and strategies.
Lessons from Climate Governance
The creation of the IPCC and UNFCCC in the late 1980s offers a useful precedent. The IPCC provided independent scientific assessments, while the UNFCCC gave governments a platform to act on science. Imperfect as they are, these institutions built a science–policy interface that has shaped climate action for decades.
The UN is following a similar model for AI:
- Panel on AI = a scientific body for assessments.
- Global Dialogue on AI = a political forum for policy debates.
The key question is whether these structures will deliver a coherent, inclusive framework or risk duplicating efforts without coordination.
The Role of the IGF
Since 2005, the IGF has been a neutral, multistakeholder space where governments, civil society, business, and academia meet as equals. Its openness and inclusivity have allowed diverse voices to be heard.
At IGF 2025 in Norway, AI governance dominated discussions. Governments stressed development needs, private sector leaders highlighted deployment realities, and civil society raised transparency and accountability concerns. This reinforced the IGF’s role as a bridge, linking Internet governance to AI governance, and providing legitimacy through openness.
The Real Challenge: Connection, Not Fragmentation
The challenge is not the existence of multiple bodies, but ensuring they complement one another:
- Science (AI Panel).
- Policy Dialogue (Global Dialogue).
- Multistakeholder Breadth (IGF).
When connected, these mechanisms can provide a governance ecosystem that is inclusive, balanced, and future-proof.
The Opportunity
We are at a crossroads similar to climate governance thirty years ago. The UN has opened the door with new mechanisms, but inclusivity and coherence will determine whether they succeed.
