Development Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

ILO highlights child protection risks amid digital transformation

The International Labour Organization (ILO), together with UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), used a high-level roundtable in Türkiye to highlight the growing connection between digital transformation and child protection.

While the event focused primarily on eliminating child labour, discussions also examined the opportunities and risks associated with rapid technological change.

ILO Türkiye Director Yasser Hassan noted that digital transformation can support economic development, productivity growth and poverty reduction. However, he warned that rapidly evolving technologies may also expose children to new forms of exploitation, including technology-enabled commercial sexual exploitation and other online harms.

Participants stressed that child protection considerations should be incorporated into the design, deployment and governance of digital technologies from the outset. The discussion reflected growing international concern that digitalisation can create new vulnerabilities alongside economic opportunities, particularly for children and young people.

The ILO roundtable also highlighted Türkiye’s broader policy agenda, including digital transformation initiatives within the National Employment Strategy 2025–2028. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of ensuring that digital innovation is accompanied by education, social protection, labour rights protections and child safeguarding measures.

Why does it matter?

The discussion reflects an increasingly important policy debate: how digital transformation can be harnessed while protecting vulnerable groups from emerging risks.

As governments, businesses and international organisations accelerate the adoption of AI, digital platforms and connected technologies, concerns about online child exploitation, digital rights and technology governance are becoming more prominent.

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Google DeepMind launches robotics accelerator for European startups

Google DeepMind has launched a three-month robotics accelerator for early-stage startups across Europe, offering technical mentorship, product guidance and access to AI tools, including Gemini robotics models.

The first cohort includes 15 companies working on robotics and embodied AI applications in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, construction, healthcare, waste sorting, marine robotics and industrial automation. The selected founders began the programme in London this week.

According to Google, the accelerator is intended to help startups integrate advanced AI capabilities into physical systems and turn robotics research into deployable products. Participants will receive support from Google DeepMind and Google experts, as well as access to technical resources and partner networks.

The selected companies are developing technologies ranging from robotic welding and construction systems to autonomous underwater robots, neurosurgical microrobots, humanoid systems, robotic sensing and industrial AI tools.

The programme reflects growing commercial interest in embodied AI, where advances in language, vision and action models are being applied to machines that operate in physical environments.

Why does it matter?

Robotics is becoming an important test case for how advanced AI moves from digital tools into physical systems. As foundation models are integrated into manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, construction and infrastructure, questions around safety, reliability, liability, labour impact and deployment standards will become more important. Google DeepMind’s accelerator is not a regulatory development, but it signals growing industry investment in Europe’s embodied AI ecosystem.

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UK backs open-source AI developers with compute and mentoring

The UK government has announced new support for open-source AI developers, including computing resources, mentoring and a policy engagement channel for younger developers.

The measures were announced during London Tech Week by AI Minister Kanishka Narayan as part of a wider package covering open-source AI, data centre design and workplace robotics.

The new Open-Source AI Builder Fund will provide more than £500,000 worth of compute to selected projects from the Hack for Impact hackathon. The support will include 160,000 GPU-hours through the UK’s AI Research Resource, intended to help teams move from prototypes to operational AI tools.

The government also announced an Open-Source AI Builder Mentoring Scheme, which will pair hackathon winners with experts from the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence, the government’s in-house AI team. A new Open-Source AI Dev Board will give 10 UK-based developers under 30 a route to contribute to government discussions on how AI is used and developed.

The package also includes a government-backed Data Centre Design Challenge with the Royal Institute of British Architects, focused on improving the design, sustainability and local community value of data centres.

Separately, the Regulatory Innovation Office and the Health and Safety Executive will work with industry to develop guidance on the safe use of collaborative robots in workplaces.

Why does it matter?

The announcement shows how governments are trying to broaden participation in AI development beyond large commercial labs by supporting open-source builders with compute, mentoring and access to policy discussions. It also links AI policy to the physical and regulatory infrastructure around deployment, including data centres and workplace robotics. The package is not a major funding programme, but it signals the UK’s effort to shape domestic AI capacity through practical support and regulatory clarity.

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PMI launches global standard for AI project management

The Project Management Institute (PMI) has published a global standard for managing AI initiatives in portfolio, programme and project environments. The standard, titled ‘The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management‘, is intended to guide project, programme and portfolio teams delivering AI initiatives.

PMI said AI deployment within organisations is typically delivered through projects, including the development of AI systems, AI-enabled workflows and AI-powered products. The organisation said project professionals have lacked a dedicated framework for planning, governing and delivering AI transformation initiatives.

The standard establishes eight guiding principles, five performance domains and a lifecycle framework for designing, deploying and overseeing AI initiatives. PMI said the guidance is technology-agnostic and built around human-in-the-loop oversight at every stage.

The standard comes as governments and organisations continue to develop AI governance approaches, including risk-based regulation, transparency requirements, and accountability measures. PMI said the standard is intended to help project professionals integrate responsible AI governance into project delivery, from design and development through deployment and oversight.

The standard also addresses AI business cases, tool selection, AI-specific risk management, ethics oversight, and compliance with emerging requirements such as the EU AI Act and ISO 42001. PMI said the framework provides project leaders with a common language for aligning legal, audit, finance, technology and business teams around AI implementation objectives and governance requirements.

The standard is available as a free digital download for PMI members worldwide. Non-members can access the digital edition through purchase or PMI membership.

Why does it matter?

As organisations move from experimenting with AI to deploying it at scale, attention is increasingly shifting from technical development to implementation, governance and operational oversight. Many AI initiatives fail not because of technology limitations, but because of challenges related to project management, risk management, stakeholder alignment and organisational readiness.

PMI’s standard reflects the growing effort to operationalise AI governance by translating broad principles into practical project delivery processes. It also highlights how emerging regulatory frameworks, such as the EU AI Act, are influencing the way organisations plan, manage and oversee AI-enabled transformation initiatives.

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UNESCO expands gender-responsive digital education training in Tanzania

UNESCO has completed the second cohort of its Teacher Educator Training on Gender-Responsive Pedagogy for Inclusive Digital Education in Tanzania.

The initiative, delivered in partnership with Beijing Normal University (BNU) and Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, trained 30 teacher educators from the University of Dodoma (UDOM) and Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE).

The programme forms part of the UNESCO–BNU project ‘Closing the Digital Divide: Ensuring Gender-Transformative Digital Skills Education for Women and Girls‘. Participants received practical training in gender-responsive pedagogy, inclusive digital learning and strategies to encourage greater participation by girls in ICT and STEM fields.

According to UNESCO, the training focused on helping educators identify and address barriers that may discourage girls from pursuing digital skills development and careers in technology. Through workshops, peer learning, case studies, and practical exercises, participants explored approaches to creating more inclusive and equitable learning environments.

With the completion of the second cohort, the initiative has now trained 60 teacher educators from four Tanzanian higher education institutions: UDOM, MUCE, the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), and the Open University of Tanzania (OUT).

UNESCO expects the trained educators to pass on the knowledge and skills acquired through the programme to future teachers, creating a multiplier effect across Tanzania’s education system.

The project is now entering a new phase focused on strengthening Girls in ICT Clubs in 20 secondary schools across Tanzania. Planned activities include mentorship programmes, innovation bootcamps, ICT training and engagement with female role models aimed at encouraging girls’ participation in technology and STEM disciplines.

Why does it matter?

Digital skills are increasingly essential for participation in education, employment, and the wider economy. However, gender gaps in access to technology and STEM opportunities continue to limit the participation of women and girls in many parts of the world.

By equipping teacher educators with gender-responsive teaching approaches and supporting girls’ engagement with ICT and STEM, the UNESCO–BNU initiative seeks to address barriers at multiple levels of the education system. The programme also highlights the role of education and capacity development in promoting digital inclusion and expanding opportunities for future generations.

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Greece marks six years of gov.gr and unveils public service CRM

The Greek government has marked the sixth anniversary of gov.gr by presenting new figures on the platform’s use and outlining the next phase of public sector digitalisation.

At an event organised by the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, officials highlighted the expansion of Greece’s digital public services. They presented a new unified customer relationship management system for citizens and businesses.

According to the ministry, gov.gr now offers more than 2,257 digital services and has been used by over 9 million citizens. More than 431 million documents and certificates have been issued through the platform since its launch. At the same time, the digitisation and simplification of 20 selected procedures is estimated to generate annual savings of €312 million.

The new CRM infrastructure is intended to consolidate interactions between citizens, businesses and public services into a single environment. Requests and cases submitted through gov.gr, Citizens’ Service Centres and call centres will be tracked in one place, allowing users to follow their status and receive updates on the service handling the case and its expected completion.

The CRM project is being implemented under Greece’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, ‘Greece 2.0’, with financing from the EU’s NextGenerationEU programme. Officials said the system is intended to reduce bureaucracy, improve transparency and make public administration more consistent across different service channels.

Why does it matter?

The move points to a shift in digital government from putting individual services online towards building an integrated public service infrastructure. If implemented effectively, a unified CRM system could make interactions with the state more traceable and coordinated, while also raising important questions about interoperability, data governance, service accountability and citizens’ access to public administration across digital and non-digital channels.

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EDIH Summit 2026 to focus on Europe’s AI implementation challenge

The EDIH Summit 2026 will take place in Brussels on 9 and 10 June, bringing together the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network, EU institutions, Member States, AI infrastructures initiatives and innovation stakeholders. The event will focus on how Europe’s AI innovation ecosystem functions in practice.

The summit comes as the European Union increasingly shifts its focus from AI policymaking towards implementation and adoption. With the AI Act in force, the AI Continent Action Plan adopted, and the Apply AI Strategy underway, organisers say attention is turning to whether SMEs and public administrations can access infrastructure, expertise and practical support needed to adopt AI effectively.

Sessions will explore how European Digital Innovation Hubs connect organisations with other components of the EU AI innovation ecosystem, including AI Factories, Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) and regulatory sandboxes. Discussions will also address common tools, assessment frameworks, and approaches that can be scaled across regions and sectors.

The programme will also examine how support structures may need to evolve as generative and agentic AI reshape organisational requirements and expectations. The EDIH Summit will also examine the evolving role of EDIHs as AI experience centres, acting not only as access points but as guides within a changing technological and regulatory landscape.

Organisers said the summit is designed to encourage practical exchange, knowledge sharing and actionable outcomes. European Digital Innovation Hubs will be able to compare approaches, identify shared challenges, and contribute to discussions that will shape the network’s priorities for the year ahead.

Why does it matter?

As the European Union moves from developing AI regulations to encouraging widespread adoption, questions increasingly focus on implementation rather than policy design. Many SMEs and public administrations continue to face challenges accessing expertise, testing facilities, funding and trusted guidance for deploying AI solutions.

The EDIH Summit reflects the EU’s broader effort to build a connected AI ecosystem that links businesses and public-sector organisations with technical infrastructure, innovation support services and regulatory guidance. The discussions may help shape how Europe translates its AI ambitions into practical adoption and economic impact.

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Researchers develop AI governance tools for public health across the Global Majority

A research team led by Professor Jude Kong from the University of Toronto is developing new tools to monitor, assess, and govern the use of AI in public health across the Global Majority, with a particular focus on Africa.

The team, which includes Jake Effoduh, Jim Hinton, Abbas Yazdinejad, and Maral Niaz, has begun mapping how AI is being integrated into healthcare systems and infrastructure. The work focuses on identifying key actors, technologies and use cases, providing a clearer picture of how AI is becoming embedded in public health systems.

The next phase involves developing a dynamic dashboard designed to track AI systems and support evidence-based decision-making. Rather than relying solely on top-down governance frameworks, the team aims to co-develop tools that policymakers, civil society organisations, educators and practitioners can use in their own contexts.

In practice, this means creating tools that are not only technically robust but also socially legitimate and locally relevant. While strengthening AI literacy and governance capacity across the Global Majority, the initiative aims to empower policymakers with evidence-based insights, support civil society in understanding AI systems, and enable more informed and inclusive decision-making processes.

By bringing together expertise in technology, law, public policy and social impact, the project reflects the multidisciplinary nature of AI governance. The team will present its findings at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, during ITU’s Kaleidoscope sessions on Thursday, 9 July 2026, from 15:30 to 16:30.

Why does this matter in AI world?

AI for the Global Majority (AI4GM) is a joint initiative of the Geneva Graduate Institute, Microsoft and the International Telecommunication Union. The initiative supports research on how AI can benefit majority populations in areas including governance, education, health, finance, and digital innovation.

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UK launches £200 million initiative to accelerate AI adoption across the economy

The UK government has unveiled a nationwide initiative to accelerate AI adoption, announcing more than £200 million in funding to help businesses deploy AI technologies while strengthening workforce skills.

The announcement was made at the inaugural AI Adoption Summit, which brought together technology companies, trade unions and industry leaders to discuss the practical deployment of AI across the economy.

The programme includes a £100 million expansion of the Bridge AI scheme to connect businesses with AI solutions and expertise, alongside £53 million for new AI innovation and adoption initiatives. Additional funding will support AI Growth Zones, scholarships, workforce training and sector-specific programmes aimed at helping organisations adopt AI responsibly and effectively.

A key element of the initiative is the creation of the AI Economics Institute, chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Simon Johnson. The institute will examine how AI affects employment, productivity and economic growth.

More than 30 companies have also committed to sharing data and experiences related to workplace AI adoption to help inform future policy development.

The UK government said the strategy seeks to increase AI adoption across businesses while ensuring workers gain the skills needed to benefit from technological change. Alongside public investment, several technology companies announced additional commitments focused on training, workforce development, research and business support.

Why does it matter?

Governments are increasingly shifting their focus from supporting AI research alone to encouraging widespread adoption across businesses and public services. Many policymakers see AI deployment as a key driver of productivity, competitiveness and economic growth, provided organisations and workers have the skills needed to use the technology effectively.

The UK’s initiative reflects this broader trend by combining investment in AI adoption with workforce development and evidence-based policymaking. The creation of the AI Economics Institute also signals growing interest in understanding how AI will affect jobs, productivity and economic performance as adoption accelerates.

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UNESCO IFAP focuses on digital inclusion

UNESCO’s Information for All Programme (IFAP) convened an orientation meeting on 20 May to brief stakeholders on its activities and priorities in an increasingly complex digital and information environment. The meeting took place as the Programme marks its 25th anniversary in 2026.

IFAP Chair Ambassador Salih Abdullah said the anniversary presents an opportunity to strengthen the Programme’s role as a global platform for policy dialogue and standard-setting in the digital era. He linked IFAP’s mission to UNESCO’s wider goal of ensuring access to information and supporting inclusive knowledge societies.

UNESCO said the endorsement of IFAP’s Manual of Operations by the 13th IFAP Council represents a significant milestone for the Programme. The manual is intended to guide the revitalisation of IFAP National Committees and support the translation of the ‘Information for All’ mandate into national policies and local initiatives.

Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi, UNESCO’s Director for Digital Inclusion, Policies and Transformation, and IFAP Secretary, said IFAP is positioned to guide Member States as the world aligns with the UN Global Digital Compact and the WSIS+20 review. He also emphasised the Programme’s role in advancing digital public goods, human rights and inclusive digital development.

The meeting also addressed the need to strengthen engagement across IFAP National Committees, working groups, experts, and partners. UNESCO encouraged Member States to establish IFAP National Committees and submit nominations for IFAP Working Groups in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Manual of Operations.

More than 80 delegates participated, including representatives of UNESCO Member States, the IFAP Council and Bureau, IFAP Working Groups and National Committees, experts, and partners. The IFAP 35th Bureau meeting is scheduled for 17 June 2026.

Why does it matter?

As governments and international organisations seek to implement the UN Global Digital Compact and prepare for the WSIS+20 review process, questions of digital inclusion, access to information and digital governance are becoming increasingly important.

IFAP provides a longstanding multistakeholder platform for addressing these issues and promoting inclusive knowledge societies. Strengthening national participation and coordination mechanisms could help countries translate global digital policy objectives into practical national initiatives and capacity-building efforts.

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