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UN leaders at WSIS Forum 2026 showcase coordinated push for inclusive and trusted digital transformation

WSIS+20 mandate puts cooperation at the centre

Leaders from across the United Nations system used the WSIS Forum 2026 to demonstrate how digital technologies and AI are already supporting sustainable development, while stressing that stronger cooperation will be essential to deliver on the renewed WSIS+20 mandate through 2035. The dialogue brought together heads and senior officials from more than a dozen UN agencies, highlighting a shared commitment to building inclusive, trusted, and people-centred digital transformation.

Opening the session, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin reminded participants that, despite two decades of progress, 2.2 billion people remain offline, underscoring the importance of continued cooperation across the UN system.

‘The past 20 years have proven that multistakeholder cooperation works,’ she said, describing the WSIS framework as a platform that continues to unite governments, civil society, academia, the private sector and international organisations around common digital goals.

She challenged the UN system to use technology not only to better serve member states but also to strengthen the organisation itself, arguing that digital transformation should support wider UN reform efforts.

Beyond connectivity: Trust, capacity and governance

A recurring theme throughout the first panel was that digital transformation extends far beyond expanding internet access.

Masahiko Metoki, Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), argued that post offices remain essential digital access points, particularly in rural communities. While postal operators increasingly provide e-commerce, digital financial and government services, he noted that around 100,000 post offices worldwide still lack meaningful internet connectivity, limiting their ability to support local communities.

For WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, digital inclusion is inseparable from public health.

‘The digital divide is a health divide,’ he warned, arguing that countries lacking connectivity, digital skills and governance risk seeing inequalities widen as healthcare becomes increasingly digital.

He highlighted WHO initiatives, including the Global Digital Health Certification Network, which now supports more than 80 countries representing over two billion people, alongside efforts to develop ethical and trustworthy AI for health.

The importance of trustworthy data was echoed by Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), who argued that AI systems are only as reliable as the data underpinning them.

Pointing to WMO’s WIS2 open data platform, now connecting more than 90 countries, Saulo said international cooperation on data sharing remains the foundation for trustworthy AI applications, particularly in weather forecasting and disaster resilience.

‘Weather data is a global public good,’ she said, adding that ‘trustworthy AI does not begin with algorithms but with open data.’

Making digital transformation meaningful

Several speakers argued that connectivity alone is no longer sufficient.

Pedro Manuel Moreno, Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD, said the real question is whether digital technologies create economic opportunity.

‘The phone in your pocket can either entertain or employ,’ he observed, noting that many people in developing countries primarily use digital devices for social media rather than productive economic activities.

He pointed to UNCTAD’s eTrade for All initiative, which now includes 35 partner organisations, helping developing countries strengthen payments, logistics, legal frameworks and digital entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, Executive Director of UNITAR, introduced the concept of a growing ‘capacity divide’, arguing that countries increasingly need leadership, institutions and policy expertise, not just technology, to benefit from digital transformation.

UNITAR now reaches nearly 600,000 learners across 105 countries annually through executive education, AI governance training and digital capacity-building programmes.

Adding a social perspective, Magdalena Sepúlveda of the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) argued that AI should ultimately be judged by its contribution to society rather than its technical capabilities.

‘Social justice cannot be an afterthought,’ she said, insisting that questions of who benefits, and who risks being left behind, must remain central to AI governance.

From strategy to implementation

The second panel shifted from high-level principles to practical implementation across the UN system.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General Mariya Gabriel highlighted the organisation’s work on AI governance and public-sector capacity-building, noting that more than 35,000 civil servants have completed UNESCO’s AI and Digital Transformation in Government programme.

UNICEF Chief Information Officer Kaan Cetinturk presented Ahead of the Storm, an AI-powered initiative that combines climate forecasts with vulnerability data to help governments better protect the 1.1 billion children exposed to climate hazards by enabling earlier humanitarian action.

Child protection also featured prominently in UNICRI’s presentation. Irakli Beridze, Head of the Centre for AI and Robotics, described the AI for Safer Children initiative, which has trained more than 3,500 law enforcement officers from 60 countries and contributed to rescuing over 100 children and arresting more than 250 offenders involved in online child exploitation.

Other agencies highlighted practical digital innovations already being deployed across the UN system.

The UN Joint Staff Pension Fund presented its digital identity solution, which enables more than 80,000 pensioners across 192 countries to verify their identities remotely, while UNICC showcased shared AI infrastructure designed to help UN agencies safely deploy AI applications in line with common governance standards.

UNOPS demonstrated shared procurement and grant management platforms used across multiple UN agencies, while UNDP outlined how digital transformation has been embedded across its new strategic plan as a cross-cutting accelerator for development.

A shared agenda for the next decade

Despite representing organisations with different mandates, speakers consistently converged around several common priorities.

Trustworthy AI, high-quality data, digital skills, human rights, and stronger institutional cooperation were repeatedly identified as prerequisites for responsible digital transformation. Capacity building emerged as equally important as connectivity, while many participants stressed that digital inclusion must ultimately be measured by improvements in people’s lives rather than technology deployment alone.

Closing the dialogue, Bogdan-Martin said trust had become the common thread linking all contributions, from health and climate to trade, education and public services.

‘The UN system succeeds when we work together,’ she said, describing the WSIS process as proof that coordinated multistakeholder cooperation remains one of the strongest foundations for advancing digital development worldwide.

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From landlocked to digitally connected: WSIS Forum 2026 explores pathways for LLDCs

Connectivity as a development imperative

Digital connectivity must become a central pillar of development strategies for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), speakers at a high-level dialogue at WSIS Forum 2026 on the Awaza Programme of Action 2024–2034 agreed, arguing that digital transformation can help overcome many of the structural disadvantages associated with geography.

Moderated by Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, UN Resident Coordinator in Angola, the discussion brought together government ministers, international organisations, development banks, and private sector representatives to examine how connectivity can accelerate sustainable development in the 32 LLDCs, home to more than 620 million people. Mukwashi noted that while distance from seaports has historically translated into higher trade costs and infrastructure deficits, the digital era offers an opportunity to ‘redefine what it means to be landlocked.’

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, argued that connectivity should be viewed as a moral imperative rather than simply a technical challenge.

‘Digital transformation is not about replacing human judgement with algorithms,’ he said. ‘It is about amplifying human capacity through data, speed, and reach.’

He outlined three pillars for successful digital transformation: resilient digital infrastructure, digital skills and capacity development, and trusted governance frameworks covering cybersecurity, privacy, and inclusive digital services. ‘Connectivity is not a luxury, it is a utility,’ Zavazava stressed, adding that digital transformation must leave no one behind “not by accident, but by design.”

Closing the digital divide

A video message from Rabab Fatima, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, highlighted the scale of the challenge. Only 39% of people in LLDCs used the internet in 2024, compared with the global average of 68%, leaving around 359 million people offline.

Fatima described digital exclusion as a ‘new dimension of landlockedness’, arguing that inadequate connectivity increasingly limits access to economic opportunities, public services, and innovation. She called for stronger regulatory frameworks, increased blended finance, and the proposed Infrastructure Investment Financing Facility (IIFF) under the Awaza Programme to mobilise investment in broadband, digital public infrastructure, data centres, and digital skills.

Representing the group of LLDCs, Mirzo Khurshed of Tajikistan emphasised that digital connectivity affects far more than technology.

‘Connectivity is not only about technology, it is also about trade, jobs, education, health, and economic growth,’ he said. While digital technologies cannot change geography, they can reduce many of its disadvantages by improving access to services and enabling participation in regional and global digital markets.

Regional cooperation and financing

Several ministers highlighted the practical barriers faced by landlocked countries.

Zimbabwe’s Minister of ICT, Tatenda Anastacia Mavetera, identified financing as the primary obstacle to implementing national AI and digital transformation strategies. She called for greater regional cooperation, including shared computing infrastructure and collective investment in digital resources.

Botswana’s Minister David Tshere noted that all of the country’s internet bandwidth must transit through neighbouring states, resulting in costs almost four times higher than those faced by coastal countries. He argued that governments must continue investing in ICT infrastructure while strengthening partnerships with the private sector.

Namibia’s Minister Emma Inamutila Theofelus positioned her country as a potential regional digital hub, highlighting its submarine cable landings, port infrastructure, and bilateral cooperation with Botswana, including passport-free travel and the elimination of roaming charges. She invited neighbouring countries to invest in data centres and digital infrastructure, presenting Namibia as ‘a regional digital corridor’ for Southern Africa.

Regional cooperation was also a priority for Paraguay. Ambassador Raúl Cano Ricciardi explained that Paraguay depends entirely on fibre connections through neighbouring countries to access international submarine cables, making cross-border infrastructure and diversified connectivity routes essential for resilience and affordability.

Public-private partnerships

Development partners and industry representatives argued that achieving universal connectivity will require much greater private investment, supported by public financing and regulatory reforms.

EU Ambassador Deike Potzel outlined how the Global Gateway initiative is supporting satellite connectivity, cross-border fibre infrastructure, and investment guarantees designed to reduce project risks and attract private capital. She stressed the importance of regional cooperation, combining physical infrastructure with regulatory reforms and building pipelines of bankable digital projects.

The World Bank’s Sangbu Kim announced the creation of a new Digital Access Fund, combining concessional finance and public-private partnership mechanisms to encourage investment in underserved markets. He argued that infrastructure investments must be accompanied by policies that stimulate demand for digital services in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.

Private sector speakers echoed these priorities. Ahmed Riad Ismail, Vice President of Global Standardisation at Huawei, said the company’s rural connectivity initiatives had connected more than 170 million people across 80 countries, exceeding its original Partner2Connect commitment. He stressed that governments, operators, technology providers, and international organisations all have complementary roles in expanding connectivity.

Representing MTN, Lele Modise argued that digital infrastructure should now be viewed as essential economic infrastructure, alongside roads, ports, and power networks. She warned that the greatest barrier is not a lack of opportunity but insufficient risk-adjusted capital to move projects from concept to implementation. Predictable regulatory frameworks, transparent licensing, and investment de-risking would be critical to attracting long-term private investment, she said.

Turning ambition into implementation

Throughout the dialogue, speakers repeatedly returned to a common message that the Awaza Programme provides a shared roadmap, but success will depend on implementation rather than commitments alone.

Closing the session, Zavazava reaffirmed that connectivity is ‘not only a technical goal, but a catalyst for economic transformation, regional integration, and sustainable development.’ Delivering on that vision, he said, will require political leadership, innovative financing, strong partnerships, and coordinated action across governments, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector.

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Africa urged to turn WSIS+20 commitments into measurable digital progress

African policymakers, civil society leaders, academics, and technology experts used a WSIS Forum 2026 session to argue that the continent already has the strategies needed for digital transformation but now faces a more pressing challenge: implementation. Organised by the Africa ICT Alliance (AFICTA) and Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the discussion focused on how the WSIS+20 outcome document can help translate global digital commitments into practical action across Africa.

Speakers repeatedly stressed that digital transformation requires more than policy declarations. They called for coordinated investment, stronger digital infrastructure, measurable outcomes, and greater collaboration among governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society. Throughout the session, participants returned to a common message that Africa’s digital future will depend not on adopting more strategies, but on delivering tangible results.

From commitments to implementation

Afework Temtime, of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), argued that Africa does not suffer from a lack of digital frameworks, but from the absence of coordinated implementation.

‘Africa needs an implementation roadmap, not another declaration,’ he said while presenting UNECA’s Africa 2035 Digital Implementation Roadmap, which translates the WSIS+20 outcome document into nine thematic pillars tailored to the continent’s priorities.

The roadmap identifies major obstacles to digital transformation, including limited connectivity, financing shortages, digital skills gaps, weak regulatory harmonisation, data governance challenges, and insufficient institutional coordination. It also proposes policy actions to address these issues while aligning national efforts with broader initiatives such as the Global Digital Compact and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Temtime also emphasised that implementation requires accountability. UNECA has proposed a set of 15 priority indicators, along with a unified reporting template, to help African countries measure progress consistently and reduce overlapping reporting obligations.

‘Measurement is the bridge between political commitments and delivery,’ he said, arguing that comparable data will enable governments to identify gaps, learn from one another, and adjust policies more effectively.

Nigeria highlights national reforms

Representing NITDA, Acting Director-General Dr Dimie Shively Wariowei outlined Nigeria’s efforts to implement the WSIS+20 agenda through national reforms and capacity-building initiatives.

He noted that the ICT sector now contributes between 13% and 14% of Nigeria’s GDP and highlighted several recent initiatives, including reforms to the National Identity Management Act, broader digital government reforms, and the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme, which aims to train three million people in emerging digital technologies by 2027.

Wariowei also pointed to Nigeria’s leadership role in the Digital Economy Accelerator Programme (DEAP), which seeks to coordinate digital transformation efforts across Africa through regional cooperation.

Despite this progress, he acknowledged that many countries continue to face persistent challenges, including infrastructure deficits, financing gaps, unequal digital access, gender disparities, and limited digital literacy.

Measuring outcomes instead of activity

One of the strongest recurring themes was the need to shift from measuring activities to measuring impact.

Christiana Onoja, co-founder and CEO of SheCode.ai, argued that Africa has no shortage of digital ambition, but lacks three critical ingredients: accessible computing infrastructure, locally developed AI, and reliable measurement of progress.

She highlighted the scale of the continent’s infrastructure gap, noting that Africa hosts only 0.6% of global data centre capacity and roughly 0.2% of global AI computing resources, leaving researchers waiting days to access computing resources that are available within minutes elsewhere.

‘This is not just an infrastructure problem,’ she argued. ‘It is a question of power.’

Onoja also warned that language inclusion remains a major challenge. Although Africa is home to more than 2,000 languages, only a small fraction are meaningfully represented in today’s leading AI models.

‘When AI enters hospitals, schools and public services, this becomes a question of trust, inclusion and safety,’ she said, calling for greater investment in African-language AI models alongside sovereign computing infrastructure.

To strengthen accountability, Onoja proposed creating a WSIS Implementation Maturity Index covering all 11 WSIS Action Lines, allowing governments to measure outcomes rather than simply counting workshops, policies, or declarations.

Digital inclusion must reach underserved communities

Civil society representatives argued that digital transformation will remain incomplete unless it addresses structural inequalities, particularly those faced by women and rural communities.

Martha Alade, President of Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), said her organisation has reached more than 1.25 million beneficiaries through community-based STEM education programmes across Nigeria, including conflict-affected regions.

However, she stressed that digital inclusion requires more than training.

‘No amount of training can compensate for exclusion from foundational digital infrastructure,’ she said, calling for greater access to digital identity systems, affordable internet connectivity, financial services, and coordinated partnerships across sectors.

Alade also argued that education systems should place greater emphasis on problem-solving rather than memorisation and urged governments to collect disaggregated data capable of measuring genuine transformation rather than simply recording participation.

Evangeline Iwenjiora of the Ivyline Care Foundation echoed these concerns, emphasising that women in rural communities remain excluded by poor connectivity and unreliable electricity.

She argued that educating women creates benefits that extend throughout families and communities, making inclusive digital literacy programmes a key investment for long-term development.

Universities need stronger industry links

Professor Abayomi Jegede highlighted progress within Nigeria’s higher education sector, including curriculum reforms that have expanded specialised programmes in AI, cybersecurity, data science, and related disciplines.

Yet he warned that universities continue to face significant barriers.

Many institutions still lack access to advanced computing infrastructure such as GPUs, academic staff often possess strong theoretical knowledge but limited practical experience, and collaboration between universities and industry remains insufficient.

Jegede also identified brain drain as a major challenge, with many of Africa’s most talented graduates and researchers leaving for opportunities abroad.

He called for stronger partnerships between universities and industry, including practical placements that would allow academics to gain hands-on experience before returning to teach students.

Collaboration as the path forward

Despite highlighting numerous challenges, speakers remained optimistic that Africa possesses the foundations needed to accelerate digital transformation.

Rather than calling for new strategies, participants consistently argued that success will depend on stronger implementation, better measurement, sustained investment, and genuine multistakeholder cooperation.

The session concluded with broad agreement that governments, technical experts, businesses, civil society organisations, and academic institutions must align their efforts around common priorities if the ambitions of the WSIS+20 outcome document are to translate into real improvements in connectivity, digital inclusion, AI capacity, and economic development across the continent.

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Experts at WSIS Forum 2026 call for rethinking education in the AI era

AI is forcing educators to rethink not only how students learn but also what skills matter most in the digital age, speakers concluded during a WSIS Forum 2026 session on the future of education. Participants from academia, international organisations, aviation, and student communities agreed that while AI can enhance learning, it cannot replace the human qualities that underpin creativity, critical thinking, and meaningful knowledge creation.

Moderated by Hao Liu, the discussion explored how education systems should evolve as AI becomes increasingly integrated into classrooms and workplaces, drawing on both European and Chinese perspectives on learning.

Storytelling and apprenticeship remain at the heart of learning

Opening the discussion, Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director of Diplo, argued that human learning has historically relied on two fundamental methods, which are apprenticeship, learning by observing others, and storytelling, through which people construct and communicate knowledge.

While AI has the potential to strengthen apprenticeship by supporting practical learning, he warned that it increasingly threatens storytelling. With tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek capable of producing polished essays in minutes, students may bypass the intellectual process of organising ideas, building arguments, and developing their own voice.

‘The question is not whether AI can write an essay,’ Kurbalija suggested. ‘The question is whether we still value the human process of creating one.’

Responding from a Chinese perspective, Hao Liu noted that storytelling has long played a central role in Chinese history as well, helping leaders inspire people and build shared visions. That motivational power, he argued, cannot simply be generated by AI.

Universities should focus on asking better questions

Hong Guan, from the School of Global Governance at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), presented a framework of five ‘meta-capabilities’ that universities should prioritise in the AI era: learning agility, execution capability, communication skills, leadership potential, and critical judgement.

Rather than competing with AI in delivering information, universities should concentrate on helping students evaluate information, solve complex problems, and make sound decisions.

‘AI shouldn’t replace education,’ she said. ‘AI should push us to make education better.’

Guan also described how BIT increasingly relies on oral examinations and project-based learning rather than traditional written exams, making it much harder for students to rely exclusively on AI-generated answers.

Students warn of growing dependence on AI

Some of the session’s strongest interventions came from students themselves.

A Stanford University student described classmates uploading entire textbooks into AI systems shortly before exams, achieving excellent grades while retaining little of what they had supposedly learned.

‘What’s the point of being in school if you’re just going to do this?’ she asked.

More fundamentally, she questioned how future scientific discoveries would emerge if students increasingly relied on AI-generated summaries instead of developing original understanding.

Another student highlighted a different concern, that AI often provides answers that appear convincing even when users lack sufficient background knowledge to evaluate them critically. Instead of accepting AI outputs at face value, students should first clarify what they do not understand and develop questions before turning to AI for assistance.

Several speakers agreed that prompting AI effectively has itself become an important communication skill, but stressed that good prompts cannot substitute for genuine understanding.

Critical thinking becomes more valuable as information becomes cheaper

Drawing on her experience leading digital innovation initiatives at UNIDO, Ana Paula argued that AI is changing the value of human skills rather than eliminating them.

As information becomes abundant and inexpensive through AI, the ability to evaluate competing sources, exercise judgement, and adapt continuously becomes increasingly valuable.

‘Critical thinking is coming at a premium because information is now cheap,’ she observed.

She also challenged the widespread assumption that adaptability is an innate personal characteristic, arguing instead that it can be deliberately developed through continuous learning.

From the aviation sector, former ICAO officials Catalin Radu and Nabil Naoumi echoed the importance of embracing AI while maintaining human oversight. Both described AI as an indispensable professional tool capable of improving productivity, drafting documents, and supporting complex operational decisions, but insisted that human vision, responsibility, and face-to-face collaboration remain irreplaceable.

Humanity’s strengths cannot be automated

Closing the discussion, speakers shifted from practical education reform towards broader philosophical questions about humanity’s role in an AI-driven world.

Maricela Muñoz argued that curiosity, compassion, creativity, and ingenuity remain uniquely human qualities that should anchor education and professional development. Technology, she said, should free people from routine work rather than diminish opportunities for reflection and innovation.

Kurbalija concluded by describing AI as ‘a mirror’ that reveals what makes people uniquely human. Drawing on philosophical and religious traditions from around the world, he argued that education should not aim to optimise students into machine-like efficiency but instead preserve the human capacity for imperfection, reflection, and independent thought.

Across the discussion, speakers reached broad agreement that AI will continue transforming education, but its success will ultimately depend on whether schools and universities place greater emphasis on critical thinking, storytelling, adaptability, and lifelong learning, skills that remain fundamentally human despite rapid advances in AI.

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Turin forum explores AI for crisis management

Experts at the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino discussed how AI could strengthen crisis and emergency management while warning that its deployment raises challenges around data quality, public trust, human oversight and digital sovereignty.

The discussion framed AI in crisis management as a governance challenge rather than simply a technical opportunity. Speakers examined issues including data quality, AI testing, digital sovereignty, misinformation, education and skills shortages.

Participants agreed that evaluating AI during real-world emergencies remains difficult because every crisis is unique and reliable benchmarks are hard to establish. Several speakers argued that effective deployment will depend on public trust, digital literacy and clear accountability.

Professor Tina Comes, who led the SAPEA Working Group behind the evidence review, cautioned against treating AI as a universal solution. She said AI systems depend heavily on the quality and availability of data and may struggle when confronted with situations that differ from their training data or previous operational experience.

Comes also warned against excessive reliance on AI during emergencies. Referring to the ‘Goldilocks dilemma’, she argued that authorities need to use AI effectively without allowing it to weaken human expertise. She called for stronger data preparedness, harmonised standards, training, strategic autonomy and human-centred AI.

Professor Rémy Slama, representing the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, said crisis situations involve uncertainty, time pressure, sensitive data and complex coordination. He argued that decisions about AI in crisis management cannot be treated as purely technical, particularly where accountability, democratic participation and meaningful human oversight are concerned.

Speakers also discussed practical uses of AI in emergency response. Professor Piero Boccardo of the Polytechnic University of Turin demonstrated how AI is transforming the use of Earth observation data through foundation models and AI agents that enable emergency responders to analyse satellite imagery using natural language.

Dr Thomas Kox of the Weizenbaum Institute presented findings from a survey of around 90 international weather experts. Respondents expected AI to improve warning systems but also expressed concerns about reduced human involvement, growing private-sector influence and potential conflicts between AI-generated information and official public messaging.

Professor Emilija Stojmenova, Slovenia’s former Minister of Digital Transformation, focused on misinformation during crises. She said AI can accelerate the spread of false information but can also help identify reliable information and support life-saving interventions when deployed responsibly.

The panel discussion covered data quality, AI testing, digital sovereignty, misinformation, education and skills shortages. Participants agreed that testing AI tools in real-world emergencies remains difficult because each crisis is different and reliable benchmarks are hard to establish.

Why does it matter?

AI has the potential to improve emergency warnings, satellite analysis and crisis coordination, but its effectiveness depends on high-quality data, human oversight and public trust. The Turin discussion highlighted that successful AI deployment in emergencies requires governance, preparedness and accountability alongside technical capability.

The debate also reflects a broader shift in AI governance, with crisis management increasingly viewed as a public policy challenge involving digital sovereignty, misinformation, resilience and institutional capacity rather than simply the adoption of new technology.

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Google rolls out AI video editing in Google Photos

Google is rolling out Google Photos Video Remix for Google Photos, a new AI-powered editing feature that transforms videos using ready-made templates and generative effects.

Powered by Gemini Omni, Google’s multimodal AI model, the feature is designed to help users create stylised video clips without professional editing skills or dedicated video software.

Available through the Create tab in Google Photos, Video Remix lets users apply effects such as cinematic relighting, background changes and artistic styles including watercolour, raw sketchbook and oil painting.

Google says users can, for example, make a video appear as though it was filmed in a greenhouse, add a morning glow to a dark clip, or transform footage into a watercolour-style animation.

The launch forms part of Google’s broader effort to integrate generative AI across its consumer products. In Google Photos, the company has also introduced AI-powered editing tools and features that generate outfit ideas from photos of clothing.

Video Remix is rolling out to eligible Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers in selected countries, including the United States, Argentina, Brazil, India, Japan, Mexico, Sout h Korea and Türkiye.

Why does it matter?

Video Remix reflects how generative AI video editing is becoming a mainstream consumer feature rather than a specialist capability. By embedding AI-powered creative tools directly into Google Photos, Google is lowering the barrier to producing stylised video content while further integrating generative AI into everyday digital experiences.

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OpenAI launches GPT-Live-1 for ChatGPT Voice

OpenAI has launched GPT-Live-1, introducing a new voice experience in ChatGPT designed to make conversations feel more natural and responsive. The company is rolling out GPT-Live-1 for paid users and GPT-Live-1 mini for Free users.

The new models can listen and speak simultaneously, allowing users to interrupt, pause or continue speaking while ChatGPT responds. OpenAI says this improves turn-taking and makes voice interactions feel closer to a natural conversation.

GPT-Live-1 works within a standard ChatGPT conversation, with spoken responses appearing alongside streamed text. The model can also use web search and memory, display visual results through supported widgets, and work with text and images where those features are available.

OpenAI says GPT-Live is rolling out globally on ChatGPT.com and the ChatGPT iOS and Android apps. GPT-Live-1 will become the default voice model for Go, Plus and Pro users, while GPT-Live-1 mini will serve as the default for Free users.

At launch, GPT-Live is not available in ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu workspaces. It also does not currently support video or screen sharing, although eligible users can continue using those features through Advanced Voice Mode where available.

OpenAI says GPT-Live-1 can hand more complex tasks to other models, such as GPT-5.5, when they require search, advanced reasoning or more agentic capabilities. The company also plans to make GPT-Live available through its API in the future.

Why does it matter?

GPT-Live-1 reflects OpenAI’s broader effort to make voice a core interface for interacting with AI rather than a separate feature. By combining real-time speech, streamed text, search, memory and visual results within a single conversation, the company is moving towards more seamless multimodal assistants capable of supporting everyday tasks, research and longer, more natural interactions.

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UN explores how AI can scale human rights implementation

Digital tools and AI can help governments turn thousands of human rights recommendations into concrete action, but only if technology remains firmly guided by human expertise and institutional cooperation, speakers concluded during a WSIS Forum 2026 session on scaling digital tools for human rights monitoring.

The discussion brought together representatives from Costa Rica, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), academia, and civil society to examine how digital platforms, AI-assisted analysis, and improved data management can enhance the implementation of recommendations issued by UN human rights mechanisms.

Costa Rica shares experience with recommendation tracking

Opening the discussion, Domenico Zipoli, Head of Programmes at the Geneva Human Rights Hub, noted that governments receive thousands of recommendations every year from treaty bodies, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), special procedures, and regional mechanisms, making implementation increasingly difficult without digital support.

Costa Rica’s Roberto Cespedes, Chargé d’Affaires at the country’s mission to the UN in Geneva, explained how the National Recommendations Tracking Database (NRTD) has transformed the country’s follow-up process.

Costa Rica established its National Mechanism for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRF) in 2011, bringing together ministries, parliament, the judiciary, and the national human rights institution. However, for years, the mechanism lacked an effective technological platform capable of managing recommendations from multiple international processes.

‘The database has significantly improved visibility of recommendations across institutions,’ Cespedes said.

He highlighted the tool’s ability to cluster recommendations by topic, enabling ministries to identify shared responsibilities and collaborate more effectively. Rather than working in isolation, institutions increasingly recognise the need for coordinated implementation.

Costa Rica is also working to expand access beyond government. Cespedes said civil society organisations are expected to gain direct access to the platform, allowing them to monitor implementation, provide feedback, and strengthen transparency.

OHCHR: AI can assist, but humans remain indispensable

Presenting the UN perspective, Marie Eve Boyer, Human Rights Officer at OHCHR, explained that the NRTD was developed to address the fragmentation of international human rights recommendations.

Built on the Universal Human Rights Index, the platform enables governments to consolidate recommendations, assign responsibilities across ministries, monitor progress, and prepare reports more efficiently.

Boyer noted that 20 countries are already using the NRTD, while another 40 are waiting for deployment.

She argued that AI has significant potential to support implementation by identifying relevant information, clustering recommendations, highlighting data gaps, and scaling reporting processes. However, she stressed that technology cannot replace human judgement.

‘AI can help process information, but it cannot understand the reality experienced by communities,’ she said, adding that contextual expertise remains essential when assessing whether recommendations have genuinely been implemented.

She also warned against viewing digital tools as substitutes for strong institutions, arguing that successful implementation depends on sustained human engagement alongside technological innovation.

Generative AI opens new possibilities for legal experts

Offering an academic perspective, Lukasz Szoszkiewicz, Assistant Professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, demonstrated several prototype tools built using natural language processing and generative AI.

His projects include searchable databases of UN treaty body jurisprudence, analytical dashboards for the Universal Human Rights Index, and paragraph-level search tools for European Court of Human Rights decisions.

Szoszkiewicz argued that generative AI is fundamentally changing software development by enabling lawyers, researchers, and other domain experts to build specialised digital tools themselves rather than relying solely on IT teams.

‘Domain experts now have the possibility to develop tools that match exactly what they need,’ he explained.

He also addressed concerns about AI hallucinations, recommending that large language models be used primarily to generate deterministic software code rather than directly analysing sensitive datasets. This approach, he said, produces more reliable and verifiable results while reducing the likelihood of inaccurate outputs.

Better data still needed to measure real-world outcomes

Audience interventions highlighted persistent challenges surrounding data availability and measuring whether human rights recommendations actually improve people’s lives.

Representatives from civil society organisations working on torture prevention and disability rights pointed to the difficulty of obtaining reliable outcome data, particularly in countries where governments do not systematically publish relevant information.

Responding to these concerns, Boyer said OHCHR is exploring minimum datasets that could help governments monitor implementation more consistently while aligning human rights indicators with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Cespedes added that AI could eventually help governments identify positive actions that officials may not even realise correspond to international recommendations, making implementation more visible and easier to document.

Throughout the session, speakers agreed that AI and digital platforms should be viewed as tools to strengthen human rights implementation rather than replace human oversight. They concluded that meaningful progress will depend on better data, stronger institutional cooperation, and continued collaboration between governments, international organisations, academia, and civil society.

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Universal acceptance key to multilingual internet, UNESCO and ICANN say

The internet cannot be truly inclusive until every valid domain name and email address works regardless of language or script, speakers said during a WSIS Forum 2026 session marking the launch of UNESCO and ICANN’s joint policy brief on universal acceptance (UA). The discussion brought together representatives from UNESCO, ICANN, and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), who argued that multilingual internet infrastructure has become increasingly important not only for digital inclusion but also for the future development of AI.

While internationalised domain names (IDNs) and multilingual email addresses have long been supported by global technical standards, implementation remains far from complete. Speakers stressed that closing this gap now requires stronger political commitment, procurement policies, and coordinated action from governments, industry, academia, and civil society.

Technical standards exist, but implementation lags

Opening the session, UNESCO’s Guilherme Canela argued that multilingualism is about much more than preserving languages, it is about enabling full participation in digital society.

‘A multilingual internet expands access to information, education, services, innovation, and opportunity,’ he said, noting that many websites and online services still fail to recognise or process domain names and email addresses written in local languages and scripts.

ICANN’s Theresa Swinehart echoed that message, describing universal acceptance as a practical challenge that can be solved rather than a technological limitation. She highlighted ICANN’s work on multilingual internet infrastructure, including the delegation of more than 150 internationalised top-level domains covering 37 languages and 23 scripts, alongside efforts to improve compatibility across software platforms and open-source projects.

Dr Sarmad Hussain, Senior Director for IDN and UA Programmes at ICANN, illustrated the scale of the remaining challenge with new data. A survey of around 1,000 websites across 20 countries found that, on average, only 12% accepted email addresses written in local languages. Meanwhile, fewer than 30% of the world’s email servers currently support internationalised email addresses.

‘The technology and standards already exist,’ Hussain explained. ‘The problem is that many applications and websites have simply not been updated to support them.’

UNESCO–ICANN policy brief offers roadmap

A central focus of the session was the launch of the joint UNESCO–ICANN policy brief Advancing Universal Acceptance of All Domain Names and Email Addresses for Multilingual Internet.

Presenting the document, UNESCO’s Xianhong Hu argued that achieving universal acceptance requires much more than technical upgrades. The policy brief identifies gaps in awareness, policy, capacity development, and implementation, while providing tailored recommendations for governments, international organisations, civil society, academia, technical communities, and language communities.

Hu also stressed that multilingual internet infrastructure has become increasingly important in the AI era.

‘Without universal acceptance, AI systems learn from a narrower and less representative digital environment,’ she said, warning that languages excluded from today’s internet infrastructure risk remaining underrepresented in tomorrow’s AI models.

The brief also introduces measurement frameworks that governments and organisations can use to monitor progress. UNESCO plans to integrate UA into the sixth monitoring cycle of its Recommendation on the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism, with national reports due in 2027.

Multilingual internet increasingly linked to AI governance

Several speakers argued that universal acceptance should no longer be viewed as a niche technical issue but as part of broader AI governance discussions.

Henri Monceau of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie said multilingual internet infrastructure directly influences which languages become visible in AI training datasets.

‘The richer and more linguistically diverse the internet becomes, the richer and more representative AI systems can become,’ he said, warning that languages marginalised online today may also be marginalised in future AI applications.

Speakers therefore called for governments to include universal acceptance in national digital transformation and AI strategies, alongside procurement requirements that encourage software developers to build multilingual support from the outset.

ICANN also highlighted its growing capacity-building efforts, including more than 200 UA Day events organised across 86 countries in 42 languages, reaching over 29,000 participants. The organisation is also working with universities in Bahrain, Mexico, India, Zimbabwe, Bolivia, and other countries to integrate universal acceptance into computer science curricula so future software developers build multilingual support by default.

End users and local communities remain central

Audience questions focused on ensuring that end users, not only technical communities, remain at the centre of universal acceptance efforts, as well as whether growing interest in AI sovereignty could conflict with broader multilingual accessibility.

Responding to these concerns, Canela argued that locally developed AI models and universal acceptance should reinforce rather than compete with one another. Smaller language models designed for specific communities, he said, can strengthen both linguistic diversity and digital inclusion while requiring fewer computing resources.

Panellists agreed that the success of universal acceptance ultimately depends on collaboration across governments, industry, academia, civil society, and local language communities. They concluded that making every valid domain name and email address work equally across the internet is no longer simply a technical objective, but a prerequisite for a multilingual, inclusive, and AI-ready digital future.

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African leaders push for homegrown AI and value creation at WSIS Forum

African experts and industry leaders used the WSIS Forum 2026 to argue that the continent must move beyond digital inclusion towards digital sovereignty, calling for greater investment in industrial capacity, locally developed AI, and value creation from Africa’s own resources and data rather than continued dependence on foreign technologies.

The session, ‘From Digital Inclusion to Digital Sovereignty: Building Capacity, Infrastructure, and Governance for Sustainable Digital Transformation,’ explored how Africa can become not only a user of AI and Industry 4.0 technologies, but also a producer of digital value. Moderated by Adelina Zeqiri of the University of Côte d’Azur, the discussion featured Professor Sama Mbang, Jean Bosco Byiringoro, and Professor Adel Ben Youssef, all founding members of the Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing in Africa (ASMA).

Industrialisation remains the foundation of development

Opening the discussion, Professor Sama Mbang argued that Africa risks falling further behind unless it accelerates industrialisation alongside digital transformation.

Drawing on his experience implementing Industry 4.0 solutions in manufacturing, Mbang stressed that industrial development remains the common denominator among prosperous economies.

‘There is no developed country that is not industrialised,’ he argued, adding that industrialisation creates the skills, technology, and productive capacity needed for long-term prosperity.

Mbang introduced ASMA as a platform designed to connect governments, industry, academia, and technical experts around practical projects in smart manufacturing, health, mining, automotive production, agriculture, and digital technologies.

He also highlighted the continent’s long-standing imbalance in global value chains. Although Africa possesses around 68% of the world’s critical minerals, it captures less than 1% of the value added from their processing. Similar disparities exist in pharmaceuticals, where Africa exports raw materials while importing most finished medicines.

According to Mbang, AI should support industrialisation, not replace it.

‘Sometimes talking about AI shifts attention away from the real challenge,’ he observed. ‘Africa first needs the capability to manufacture and transform locally.’

Building African AI for African realities

The discussion repeatedly returned to the distinction between adopting AI and developing AI that reflects African contexts.

Jean Bosco Byiringoro, professor of mechatronics and founder of ASMA, argued that importing models developed elsewhere will not solve Africa’s development challenges because they are built for different industrial environments.

‘What we need is not to import the model,’ he said. ‘We need to build our own model in the African context.’

Byiringoro argued that human capital is the continent’s greatest priority. Rather than focusing solely on software, African countries need engineers, technicians, manufacturers, and researchers capable of building AI systems rooted in local industries and value chains.

He illustrated this through agricultural projects that use digital representations of industrial equipment to help farmers understand production processes and develop new business opportunities. His organisation has already helped more than 2,000 people move into industrial employment through such initiatives.

Africa’s resources create new opportunities

Professor Adel Ben Youssef challenged participants to avoid viewing Africa as a single market, reminding the audience that the continent comprises 54 countries with diverse economic realities.

He nevertheless identified several shared competitive advantages.

Africa’s rapidly growing population, abundant renewable energy resources, and what he described as a ‘last mover advantage’ could allow countries to leapfrog older industrial models and build more sustainable digital infrastructure.

Rather than remaining dependent on foreign data centres, Ben Youssef argued that Africa could become a global location for digital infrastructure powered by renewable energy.

‘The real obstacle is not energy,’ he said. ‘It is political stability.’

He also warned that Africa’s creative industries face a growing threat as cultural content, artistic works, and local knowledge are increasingly used to train AI models without consent or compensation.

‘Most African creative content is being scraped to train AI models,’ he noted, arguing that this represents both an economic and cultural sovereignty challenge.

Human capital before regulation

Audience questions turned to data governance, with participants asking whether Africa should pursue GDPR-style regulation to protect its growing digital economy.

The panellists urged caution.

Ben Youssef argued that simply copying Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation would ignore Africa’s very different economic realities, particularly the importance of informal economies.

Instead, he called for flexible, sector-specific governance frameworks adapted to local contexts and accompanied by fair mechanisms for sharing the economic value generated from African data.

Mbang went further, arguing that the continent’s immediate priority should be creating value rather than replicating regulatory frameworks developed elsewhere.

‘Our fight today is not GDPR,’ he said. ‘Our fight is creating value locally instead of exporting raw materials and importing finished products.’

Byiringoro agreed, insisting that strong regulation can only emerge once countries have developed the human capital and industrial capabilities worth protecting.

Digital sovereignty through collaboration

The discussion concluded with an invitation to governments, universities, businesses, and international organisations to participate in ASMA’s growing network, including its inaugural conference in Dakar later this year.

While the session focused on Africa, speakers stressed that digital sovereignty should not be viewed as economic isolation or geopolitical competition.

Instead, they argued that enabling Africa to capture more value from its own resources, industries, and knowledge would strengthen global prosperity rather than diminish it.

Across the discussion, a consistent message emerged: AI alone will not transform Africa unless it is accompanied by investment in manufacturing, skills, infrastructure, and local innovation. For the panellists, digital sovereignty begins not with owning algorithms, but with building the industrial and human foundations that allow countries to shape their own digital future.

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