In view of India hosting the forthcoming AI Impact Summit in February 2026, a precursor panel discussion was organised at the Internet Governance Forum 2025. This event harnessed IGF’s global platform to build momentum for the Summit, ensure inclusive ecosystem engagement and facilitate collective deliberations on its focus areas and intended outcomes.
The Open Forum event titled “Catalyzing Equitable AI Impact: The Role of International Cooperation,” brought together a distinguished panel as a precursor to the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026 to discuss how international cooperation can shape inclusive, equitable, and development-oriented AI ecosystems. Speakers included:
- H.E. Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation of Togo;
- H.E. Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU);
- H.E. Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary General’s Tech Envoy;
- Shri Abhishek Singh, CEO IndiaAI Mission and Additional Secretary, MeitY;
- Yoichi Iida, Special Policy Adviser at Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications;
- Dr Mariagrazia Squicciarini, Chief Executive of the Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO;
- Audrey Plonk, Deputy Director for Science, Technology and Innovation at the OECD;
- Andrea A. Jacobs, AI Focal Point from Antigua and Barbuda;
- Sharad Sharma, Co Founder of iSPIRT;
- Ambassador Henri Verdier, France’s Ambassador for Digital Affairs. (Moderator)
The session examined how international partnerships can nurture inclusive, equitable and development oriented AI ecosystems, supporting India’s vision of harnessing AI responsibly for good and for all. H.E. Cina Lawson warned that if the Global South is absent from today’s AI debates its knowledge may vanish tomorrow, urging joint research programmes and shared infrastructure. H.E. Tomas Lamanauskas highlighted infrastructure and finance gaps and called for interoperable standards so every nation can afford AI. UN Tech Envoy Amandeep Singh Gill pointed to a stark compute divide and urged regular global dialogue within the UN framework.
Practical solutions were also discussed. Mr. Abhishek Singh noted India’s offer of over thirty thousand GPUs at accessible prices and highlited Bhashini’s voice based learning tools that reach billions in their mother tongues. Mr. Yoichi Iida emphasised public trust and transparent democratic governance for model sharing. Dr Mariagrazia Squicciarini argued that ethical and inclusive AI grounded in diverse data delivers better outcomes for everyone. Ms. Audrey Plonk underlined the need to support SMEs and to measure global compute availability to steer investment toward equitable growth.
Ms. Andrea A. Jacobs stressed that the Global South must shift from consumer to co creator, develop local innovation ecosystems and participate fully in global governance. Mr. Sharad Sharma advocated techno legal frameworks that treat technology as a public good, while Ambassador Henri Verdier reminded participants that AI progress is not a zero sum race; it must lift emerging economies or risk deepening divides.
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