Digital cooperation Archives | Page 7 of 230

Norway and Romania expand EEA cooperation with anti-disinformation funding

Romania and Norway have signed a new EEA and Norway Grants agreement that introduces dedicated cooperation measures against disinformation, reflecting growing European concerns over information manipulation, democratic resilience and geopolitical instability.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide signed the agreement in Bucharest alongside Romania’s Minister for European Investments and Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru. The agreement forms part of the wider 2021-2028 EEA and Norway Grants framework, which supports social, economic and institutional development across Europe.

The new cooperation programme will fund initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience against disinformation through partnerships involving public institutions, specialist communities and civil society organisations in both countries.

The agreement also supports broader programmes covering justice and police cooperation, green transition projects, energy efficiency, and measures designed to strengthen the rights and living conditions of Roma communities.

Romania will receive €596.3 million under the current funding cycle, making it the second-largest beneficiary after Poland. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein together provide €3.268 billion through the EEA and Norway Grants programme, with Norway contributing approximately 97% of the overall funding.

Why does it matter?

The agreement shows how disinformation is becoming part of broader European cooperation on democratic resilience and institutional capacity, not only a media or platform issue. By funding partnerships between public institutions, expert communities and civil society, the programme links information integrity with governance, security and social cohesion at a time of heightened geopolitical pressure in Europe.

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South Africa and China expand digital education ties

South Africa and China have agreed on measures to deepen cooperation in digital education, technical skills development and student mobility following bilateral talks at the World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou.

The talks brought together South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, and China’s Vice Minister of Education, Xu Qingsen. According to SAnews, the meeting produced a framework for stronger cooperation in areas including AI, vocational training and industry-linked education pathways.

Planned measures include a structured cooperation framework on AI in education and digital transformation, as well as a Joint Technical Working Group to oversee the rollout of China-South Africa Vocational and Technical Centres across all nine South African provinces.

Both countries also committed to expanding technical and vocational education and training cooperation, aligning programmes with industrial sectors such as AI, robotics, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing. Scholarship programmes are also expected to be more closely linked to South Africa’s industrial priorities, including AI, engineering, green energy and the development of TVET lecturers.

The cooperation will include expanded postgraduate study opportunities and joint research initiatives. Future short-term training programmes are expected to focus on AI governance, digital learning systems, industrial policy and digital public infrastructure, to strengthen institutional capacity across government and the post-school education sector.

Officials also highlighted the goal of linking education more directly with employment. Existing cooperation includes a partnership with Beijing Polytechnic College, where South African TVET students completed specialised training in new energy vehicles and hybrid technologies, with Chinese automaker BYD committing to provide internships and employment opportunities.

Why does it matter?

The cooperation links digital education with industrial policy, skills development and employment pathways, rather than treating AI education as a standalone technology issue. By focusing on vocational centres, scholarships, AI governance and digital public infrastructure, South Africa and China are positioning education cooperation as part of broader workforce and institutional capacity-building for the digital economy.

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Wikimedia Foundation joins Digital Public Goods Alliance

The Wikimedia Foundation has joined the Digital Public Goods Alliance, a UN-endorsed multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes open-source software, datasets, AI models, and content as digital public goods.

The foundation, which operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, said the membership reflects its commitment to open knowledge as a public good that remains accessible, rights-based, and governed in the public interest.

Jan Gerlach, Public Policy Director at the Wikimedia Foundation, said: ‘ ‘Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia projects show how hundreds of thousands of people working together across borders can create and maintain free and open knowledge infrastructure built in the public interest. As the host of these projects, we look forward to sharing our learnings and collaborating more closely with fellow DPGA members who share our vision of an internet that protects and promotes community-led spaces.’

The foundation joins DPGA members, including UNESCO, UNICEF, GitHub, the Inter-American Development Bank, and several governments. As part of its membership, it will report activities linked to digital public goods and the sustainable development goals through the annual State of the DPG Ecosystem Report and the DPGA Roadmap.

Planned activities include strengthening Wikimedia Cloud Services, which supports volunteer-developed tools used across Wikimedia projects. The foundation said around 30% of all edits to Wikimedia projects rely on tools hosted on the service, and that future work will focus on scalability, security, usability, contributor access, and innovation.

The Wikimedia Foundation also plans to continue advocating for open knowledge infrastructure in digital policy, including open-source-first approaches, responsible use of open data for public interest AI, information integrity, and protection of digital public goods.

The move follows the DPGA’s 2025 recognition of Wikipedia and Wikidata as digital public goods. It also builds on the foundation’s 2024 Global Digital Compact advocacy, which called for protecting online public-interest projects and for AI to support people rather than replace them.

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UN invites leaders for AI governance dialogue

The co-chairs of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance have invited member states and stakeholders to express interest in co-chairing thematic discussions during the meeting, which will take place in Geneva on 6–7 July 2026 alongside the ITU AI for Good Global Summit under UN General Assembly resolution 79/325.

The discussions will be organised around four themes: the social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic, and technical implications of AI; bridging AI divides through capacity-building and digital access; safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, including interoperability between governance approaches; and human rights issues such as transparency, accountability, and human oversight.

Each thematic session will be jointly chaired by one member state and one stakeholder representative, with the aim of fostering multistakeholder exchanges on experiences, best practices, and policy cooperation. Governments are asked to nominate high-level representatives, while stakeholders are encouraged to nominate senior experts relevant to the selected theme.

Selected co-chairs will support dialogue design, facilitate exchanges, and contribute to inclusive and balanced participation.

According to the UN, the initiative aims to bring together diverse perspectives from governments, industry, academia and civil society. The process is intended to strengthen collaboration and inform future AI governance approaches.

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AI working group revived by New Environment Canterbury of New Zealand

Environment Canterbury, the regional council for Canterbury in New Zealand, has approved the re-establishment of its Artificial Intelligenc e Working Group to examine how AI is being used to analyse data, support decision-making, and serve local communities.

Canterbury Regional Councillors approved the group at a Regional Delivery Committee meeting. The working group will provide an informal forum for councillors to explore AI applications, analyse trends, share knowledge, promote digital democracy, and develop informed views on the technology.

The Artificial Intelligence Working Group will be chaired by Councillor Joe Davies and is expected to meet up to four times a year. Workshops will generally be open to the public and will give local developers and AI start-ups opportunities to present their work.

Davies said the decision reflects a proactive approach to governance as AI becomes part of everyday public sector work. He stated: ‘AI is already part of everyday public sector work, and by leaning into these conversations now, we’re making sure we understand what’s happening, what’s coming, and what good governance looks like in this space.’

The group builds on work undertaken during the previous triennium, including discussions with external experts on AI use, regulation, and risk.

Insights from the working group will be reported back to the Regional Delivery Committee to inform future council discussions. Davies said the initiative would help Canterbury engage with technological change openly and responsibly rather than simply reacting to it.

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G7 working group advances cybersecurity approach for AI systems

The German Federal Office for Information Security published guidance developed by the G7 Cybersecurity Working Group outlining elements for a Software Bill of Materials for AI. The document aims to support both public and private sector stakeholders in improving transparency in AI systems.

The guidance builds on a shared G7 vision introduced in 2025 and focuses on strengthening cybersecurity throughout the AI supply chain. It sets out baseline components that should be included in an AI SBOM to better track and understand system dependencies.

The document outlines seven baseline building blocks that should form part of an AI Software Bill of Materials (SBOM for AI), designed to improve visibility into how AI systems are built and how their components interact across the supply chain.

At the foundation is a Metadata cluster, which records information about the SBOM itself, including who created it, which tools and formats were used, when it was generated, and how software dependencies relate to one another.

The framework then moves to System Level Properties, covering the AI system as a whole. This includes the system’s components, producers, data flows, intended application areas, and the processing of information between internal and external services.

A dedicated Models cluster focuses on the AI models embedded within the system, documenting details such as model identifiers, versions, architectures, training methods, limitations, licenses, and dependencies. The goal is to make the origins and characteristics of models easier to trace and assess.

The document also introduces a Dataset Properties cluster to improve transparency into the data used throughout the AI lifecycle. It captures dataset provenance, content, statistical properties, sensitivity levels, licensing, and the tools used to create or modify datasets.

Beyond software and data, the framework includes an Infrastructure cluster that maps the software and hardware dependencies required to run AI systems, including links to hardware bills of materials where relevant.

Cybersecurity considerations are grouped under Security Properties, which document implemented safeguards such as encryption, access controls, adversarial robustness measures, compliance frameworks, and vulnerability references.

Finally, the framework proposes a Key Performance Indicators cluster that includes metrics related to both security and operational performance, including robustness, uptime, latency, and incident response indicators.

According to the paper, the objective is to provide practical direction that organisations can adopt to enhance visibility and manage risks linked to AI technologies. The framework is intended to support more secure development and deployment practices.

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Republic of Korea and UAE deepen AI and semiconductor partnership through new investment forum

The Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates have expanded cooperation on AI infrastructure and semiconductors through a new bilateral investment forum focused on AI ecosystems, data centres and advanced chip technologies.

The forum, held in Seoul by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources alongside the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National AI Strategy Committee, brought together government officials, investors and technology firms from both countries. Discussions focused on practical cooperation across AI infrastructure, local-language AI models, semiconductors and industrial AI deployment.

A 25-member UAE delegation attended the event, including representatives from major investment and technology organisations such as Core42, MGX, Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the Technology Innovation Institute. Officials highlighted growing strategic competition around AI infrastructure and stressed the need for long-term international partnerships across the semiconductor and AI supply chain.

The discussions placed particular emphasis on low-power and high-efficiency AI infrastructure built around AI semiconductors, including neural processing units, alongside large-scale data centre development and AI service deployment. South Korean companies also presented investment proposals covering AI chips, infrastructure systems and industrial AI technologies during dedicated business sessions and networking meetings.

The initiative builds on expanding Republic of Korea–UAE cooperation following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the UAE in 2025 and the UAE’s previously announced $30 billion investment commitment.

Officials from both sides argued that combining UAE investment capacity with South Korean expertise in semiconductors, manufacturing and AI infrastructure could support joint technology development and future expansion into global markets.

Why does it matter?

AI competition is increasingly centred on infrastructure, semiconductors and strategic investment alliances instead of only AI models and software. The Republic of Korea-UAE agreement highlights growing efforts by countries to secure influence across the global AI supply chain through cross-border partnerships involving data centres, specialised AI chips and industrial deployment.

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UK backs stronger cooperation on AI and frontier technologies at OSCE

The UK has highlighted both the opportunities and risks linked to frontier technologies during a high-level conference organised by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Geneva.

Speaking at the event, UK Tech Envoy Sarah Spencer said AI could support early warning and early action in humanitarian crises, but could also amplify misinformation and instability if misused or deployed without adequate safeguards.

Spencer said responsible governance of frontier technologies requires partnerships between states, institutions, industry and civil society, arguing that such cooperation matters more than individual products in building inclusive, responsible and sustainable digital ecosystems.

She also highlighted the OSCE’s role in fostering dialogue on frontier technologies, reducing misunderstandings and supporting anticipatory approaches to governance. The UK said it was ready to support efforts to ensure technological progress contributes to a safer, more secure and more humane future.

The conference, titled ‘Anticipating technologies – for a safe and humane future’, brought together participants to discuss how emerging technologies are affecting security, stability and international cooperation.

Why does it matter?

The statement places AI and other frontier technologies within a security and diplomacy context, rather than treating them only as innovation issues. It highlights growing concern that emerging technologies can support humanitarian and development goals, but also create risks for misinformation, conflict escalation and strategic stability if governance and cooperation lag behind deployment.

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Singapore cooperation with Japan targets AI in patent examination

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and the Japan Patent Office have announced a new cooperation initiative on the use of AI in patent substantive examination, as patent offices adapt to rapid technological change.

The initiative was announced after a bilateral meeting in Singapore between IPOS Chief Executive Tan Kong Hwee and JPO Commissioner Yasuyuki Kasai. It builds on a Memorandum of Cooperation signed in Tokyo last November.

Under the initiative, IPOS and JPO will launch a bilateral patent examiner exchange programme and hold regular technical exchanges on the use of AI in patent examination. The two offices said the cooperation is intended to strengthen capabilities, share best practices and develop robust processes for high-quality and trusted patent examination.

Tan said AI is reshaping innovation and work processes, making it necessary for IP offices to evolve while maintaining examination quality and trust. Kasai said the cooperation would bring together the experience and expertise of both offices and support innovation in both countries.

The cooperation will also cover patent search and examination quality management, benchmarking of examination practices, IT infrastructure development, operational management and IP policy exchanges. Both offices will also coordinate initiatives to support enterprises, including SMEs, and strengthen trade and IP flows between Singapore and Japan.

IPOS and JPO said the partnership reflects their shared commitment to addressing emerging challenges in the intellectual property landscape and keeping innovation ecosystems trusted, efficient and future-ready.

Why does it matter?

Patent offices are increasingly facing pressure to handle more complex applications while maintaining examination quality, consistency and trust. Cooperation between Singapore and Japan on AI-assisted examination shows how intellectual property authorities are beginning to adapt their own administrative systems to AI, not only to regulate AI-related inventions.

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New IRIS report links AI narratives to civic action

A report by International Resource for Impact and Storytelling examines how organisations worldwide are adapting to AI and algorithm-driven platforms. It focuses on how technology and storytelling are being used to support democracy and counter harmful narratives.

The study draws on insights from 10 organisations, identifying key approaches such as co-opting technology, countering surveillance and disinformation, and innovating in storytelling. These strategies aim to reshape narratives and challenge authoritarian pressures.

Examples include campaigns addressing digital surveillance, projects using journalism to amplify marginalised voices, and creative approaches to civic engagement. The report also highlights the role of artists and storytellers in influencing how AI is understood.

The findings highlight the growing importance of narrative and culture in the digital landscape, as organisations experiment with new forms of communication and resistance. The research reflects global efforts to align AI with democratic values.

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