Interdisciplinary approaches

AI brings Babylon’s lost hymn back to life

A hymn to the ancient city of Babylon has been reconstructed after 2,100 years using AI to piece together 30 clay tablet fragments. Once lost after Alexander the Great’s conquest, the song praises the city’s grandeur, morals and daily life in exceptional poetic detail.

The hymn, sung to the god Marduk, depicts Babylon as a flourishing paradise filled with jewelled gates, verdant pastures and flowing rivers. AI tools helped researchers quickly assemble and translate the fragments, revealing a third of the original 250-line text.

The poem sheds rare light on Babylonian values, highlighting kindness to foreigners, the release of prisoners and the sanctity of orphans. It also gives a surprising glimpse into the role of women, including cloistered priestesses who acted as midwives.

Parts of the hymn were copied out by schoolchildren up to 1,400 years after it was composed, showing its cultural importance. Scholars now place it alongside the Epic of Gilgamesh as one of the most treasured literary works from ancient Mesopotamia.

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X to test AI-generated Community Notes

X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, is preparing to test a new feature allowing AI chatbots to generate Community Notes.

These notes, a user-driven fact-checking system expanded under Elon Musk, are meant to provide context on misleading or ambiguous posts, such as AI-generated videos or political claims.

The pilot will enable AI systems like Grok or third-party large language models to submit notes via API. Each AI-generated comment will be treated the same as a human-written one, undergoing the same vetting process to ensure reliability.

However, concerns remain about AI’s tendency to hallucinate, where it may generate inaccurate or fabricated information instead of grounded fact-checks.

A recent research paper by the X Community Notes team suggests that AI and humans should collaborate, with people offering reinforcement learning feedback and acting as the final layer of review. The aim is to help users think more critically, not replace human judgment with machine output.

Still, risks persist. Over-reliance on AI, particularly models prone to excessive helpfulness rather than accuracy, could lead to incorrect notes slipping through.

There are also fears that human raters could become overwhelmed by a flood of AI submissions, reducing the overall quality of the system. X intends to trial the system over the coming weeks before any wider rollout.

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The cognitive cost of AI: Balancing assistance and awareness

The double-edged sword of AI assistance

The rapid integration of AI tools like ChatGPT into daily life has transformed how we write, think, and communicate. AI has become a ubiquitous companion, helping students with essays and professionals streamline emails.

However, a new study by MIT raises a crucial red flag: excessive reliance on AI may come at the cost of our own mental sharpness. Researchers discovered that frequent ChatGPT users showed significantly lower brain activity, particularly in areas tied to critical thinking and creativity.

The study introduces a concept dubbed ‘cognitive debt,’ a reminder that while AI offers convenience, it may undermine our cognitive resilience if not used responsibly.

MIT’s method: How the study was conducted

The MIT Media Lab study involved 54 participants split into three groups: one used ChatGPT, another used traditional search engines, and the third completed tasks unaided. Participants were assigned writing exercises over multiple sessions while their brain activity was tracked using electroencephalography (EEG).

That method allowed scientists to measure changes in alpha and beta waves, indicators of mental effort. The findings revealed a striking pattern: those who depended on ChatGPT demonstrated the lowest brain activity, especially in the frontal cortex, where high-level reasoning and creativity originate.

Diminished mental engagement and memory recall

One of the most alarming outcomes of the study was the cognitive disengagement observed in AI users. Not only did they show reduced brainwave activity, but they also struggled with short-term memory.

Many could not recall what they had written just minutes earlier because the AI had done most of the cognitive heavy lifting. This detachment from the creative process meant that users were no longer actively constructing ideas or arguments but passively accepting the machine-generated output.

The result? A diminished sense of authorship and ownership over one’s own work.

Homogenised output: The erosion of creativity

The study also noted a tendency for AI-generated content to appear more uniform and less original. While ChatGPT can produce grammatically sound and coherent text, it often lacks the personal flair, nuance, and originality that come from genuine human expression.

Essays written with AI assistance were found to be more homogenised, lacking distinct voice and perspective. This raises concerns, especially in academic and creative fields, where originality and critical thinking are fundamental.

The overuse of AI could subtly condition users to accept ‘good enough’ content, weakening their creative instincts over time.

The concept of cognitive debt

‘Cognitive debt’ refers to the mental atrophy that can result from outsourcing too much thinking to AI. Like financial debt, this form of cognitive laziness builds over time and eventually demands repayment, often in the form of diminished skills when the tool is no longer available.

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Participants who became accustomed to using AI found it more challenging to write without it later on. The reliance suggests that continuous use without active mental engagement can erode our capacity to think deeply, form complex arguments, and solve problems independently.

A glimmer of hope: Responsible AI use

Despite these findings, the study offers hope. Participants who started tasks without AI and only later integrated it showed significantly better cognitive performance.

That implies that when AI is used as a complementary tool rather than a replacement, it can support learning and enhance productivity. By encouraging users to first engage with the problem and then use AI to refine or expand their ideas, we can strike a healthy balance between efficiency and mental effort.

Rather than abstinence, responsible usage is the key to retaining our cognitive edge.

Use it or lose it

The MIT study underscores a critical reality of our AI-driven era: while tools like ChatGPT can boost productivity, they must not become a substitute for thinking itself. Overreliance risks weakening the faculties defining human intelligence—creativity, reasoning, and memory.

The challenge in the future is to embrace AI mindfully, ensuring that we remain active participants in the cognitive process. If we treat AI as a partner rather than a crutch, we can unlock its full potential without sacrificing our own.

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AI governance through the lens of magical realism

AI today straddles the line between the extraordinary and the mundane, a duality that evokes the spirit of magical realism—a literary genre where the impossible blends seamlessly with the real. Speaking at the 20th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Lillestrøm, Norway, Jovan Kurbalija proposed that we might better understand the complexities of AI governance by viewing it through this narrative lens.

Like Gabriel García Márquez’s floating characters or Salman Rushdie’s prophetic protagonists, AI’s remarkable feats—writing novels, generating art, mimicking human conversation—are increasingly accepted without question, despite their inherent strangeness.

Kurbalija argues that AI, much like the supernatural in literature, doesn’t merely entertain; it reveals and shapes profound societal realities. Algorithms quietly influence politics, reshape economies, and even redefine relationships.

Just as magical realism uses the extraordinary to comment on power, identity, and truth, AI forces us to confront new ethical dilemmas: Who owns AI-created content? Can consent be meaningfully given to machines? And does predictive technology amplify societal biases?

The risks of AI—job displacement, misinformation, surveillance—are akin to the symbolic storms of magical realism: always present, always shaping the backdrop. Governance, then, must walk a fine line between stifling innovation and allowing unchecked technological enchantment.

Kurbalija warns against ‘black magic’ policy manipulation cloaked in humanitarian language and urges regulators to focus on real-world impacts while resisting the temptation of speculative fears. Ultimately, AI isn’t science fiction—it’s magical realism in motion.

As we build policies and frameworks to govern it, we must ensure this magic serves humanity, rather than distort our sense of what is real, ethical, and just. In this unfolding story, the challenge is not only technological, but deeply human.

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Path forward for global digital cooperation debated at IGF 2025

At the 20th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Lillestrøm, Norway, policymakers, civil society, and digital stakeholders gathered to chart the future of global internet governance through the WSIS+20 review. With a high-level UN General Assembly meeting scheduled for December, co-facilitators from Kenya and Albania emphasised the need to update the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) framework while preserving its original, people-centred vision.

They underscored the importance of inclusive consultations, highlighting a new multistakeholder sounding board and upcoming joint sessions to enhance dialogue between governments and broader communities. The conversation revolved around the evolving digital landscape and how WSIS can adapt to emerging technologies like AI, data governance, and digital public infrastructure.

While some participants favoured WSIS as the primary global framework, others advocated for closer synergy with the Global Digital Compact (GDC), stressing the importance of coordination to avoid institutional duplication. Despite varied views, there was widespread consensus that the existing WSIS action lines, being technology-neutral, can remain relevant by accommodating new innovations.

Speakers from the government, private sector, and civil society reiterated the call to permanently secure the IGF’s mandate, praising its unique ability to foster open, inclusive dialogue without the pressure of binding negotiations. They pointed to IGF’s historical success in boosting internet connectivity and called for more tangible outputs to influence policymaking.

National-level participation, especially from developing countries, women, youth, and marginalised communities, was identified as crucial for meaningful engagement.

The session ended on a hopeful note, with participants expressing a shared commitment to a more inclusive and equitable digital future. As the December deadline looms, the global community faces the task of turning shared principles into concrete action, ensuring digital governance mechanisms remain cooperative, adaptable, and genuinely representative of all voices.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

IGF leadership panel explores future of digital governance

As the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) prepares to mark its 20th anniversary, members of the IGF Leadership Panel gathered in Norway to present a strategic vision for strengthening the forum’s institutional role and ensuring greater policy impact.

The session explored proposals to make the IGF a permanent UN institution, improve its output relevance for policymakers, and enhance its role in implementing outcomes from WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact.

While the tone remained largely optimistic, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa voiced a more urgent appeal, calling for concrete action in a rapidly deteriorating information ecosystem.

Speakers emphasized the need for a permanent and better-resourced IGF. Vint Cerf, Chair of the Leadership Panel, reflected on the evolution of internet governance, arguing that ‘we must maintain enthusiasm for computing’s positive potential whilst addressing problems’.

He acknowledged growing threats like AI-driven disruption and information pollution, which risk undermining democratic governance and economic fairness online. Maria Fernanda Garza and Lise Fuhr echoed the call, urging for the IGF to be integrated into the UN structure with sustainable funding and measurable performance metrics. Fuhr commended Norway’s effort to bring 16 ministers from the Global South to the meeting, framing it as a model for future inclusive engagement.

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A significant focus was placed on integrating IGF outcomes with the WSIS+20 and Global Digital Compact processes. Amandeep Singh Gill noted that these two tracks are ‘complementary’ and that existing WSIS architecture should be leveraged to avoid duplication. He emphasized that budget constraints limit the creation of new bodies, making it imperative for the IGF to serve as the core platform for implementation and monitoring.

Garza compared the IGF’s role to a ‘canary in the coal mine’ for digital policy, urging better coordination with National and Regional Initiatives (NRIs) to translate global goals into local impact.

Participants discussed the persistent challenge of translating IGF discussions into actionable outputs. Carol Roach emphasized the need to identify target audiences and tailor outputs using formats such as executive briefs, toolkits, and videos. Lan Xue added,’ to be policy-relevant, the IGF must evolve from a space of dialogue to a platform of strategic translation’.

He proposed launching policy trackers, aligning outputs with global policy calendars, and appointing liaison officers to bridge the gap between IGF and forums such as the G20, UNGA, and ITU.

Inclusivity emerged as another critical theme. Panellists underscored the importance of engaging underrepresented regions through financial support, capacity-building, and education. Fuhr highlighted the value of internet summer schools and grassroots NRIs, while Gill stressed that digital sovereignty is now a key concern in the Global South. ‘The demand has shifted’, he said, ‘from content consumption to content creation’.

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Maria Ressa closed the session with an impassioned call for immediate action. She warned that the current information environment contributes to global conflict and democratic erosion, stating that ‘without facts, no truth, no trust. Without trust, you cannot govern’. Citing recent wars and digital manipulation, she urged the IGF community to move from reflection to implementation. ‘Online violence is real-world violence’, she said. ‘We’ve talked enough. Now is the time to act.’

Despite some differences in vision, the session revealed a strong consensus on key issues: the need for institutional evolution, enhanced funding, better policy translation, and broader inclusion. Bertrand de la Chapelle, however, cautioned against making the IGF a conventional UN body, instead proposing a ‘constitutional moment’ in 2026 to consider more flexible institutional reforms.

The discussion demonstrated that while the IGF remains a trusted forum for inclusive dialogue, its long-term relevance depends on its ability to produce concrete outcomes and adapt to a volatile digital environment. As Vint Cerf reminded participants in closing, ‘this is an opportunity to make this a better environment than it already is and to contribute more to our global digital society’.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

Tower of Babel reimagined: IGF 2025 experiment highlights language barriers in internet governance

At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, an unconventional session titled ‘Tower of Babel Chaos’ challenged the norm of using English as the default language in global digital policy discussions. Moderator Virginia Paque, Senior Policy Editor of Diplo and the only native English speaker among the participants, suspended English as the session’s required language and encouraged attendees to define internet governance and interact in their own native tongues.

That move sparked both confusion and revelation as participants experienced firsthand the communicative fragmentation caused by linguistic diversity. The experiment led to the spontaneous clustering of speakers into language groups and highlighted the isolation of individuals whose languages—such as Maltese, Samoan, Cape Verdean Creole, and Chichewa—had no other representation.

Participants reported feelings ranging from curiosity to frustration, underlining the practical importance of shared language in international settings. Yet, some also discovered unexpected bridges through linguistic overlap or body language, hinting at the potential for cross-cultural communication even in chaotic conditions.

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AI emerged as a potential remedy. Ken Huang from Lingo AI noted that while AI can process thousands of languages, its effectiveness is currently limited by a lack of diverse datasets, making it default to English and other dominant tongues. Others emphasised that while technology offers hope—like real-time translation tools—it cannot guarantee equitable inclusion for all linguistic groups, particularly under-resourced languages.

The session ultimately balanced idealism with pragmatism. While many acknowledged the convenience of English as a global lingua franca, others argued for providing multiple language options with simultaneous interpretation, as practised by institutions like the UN.

The discussion underscored the political, cultural, and technological complexities of multilingualism in internet governance, and concluded with a shared recognition: fostering a more inclusive digital dialogue means embracing both innovation and linguistic diversity.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

WSIS prepares for Geneva as momentum builds for impactful digital governance

As preparations intensify for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) high-level event, scheduled for 7–11 July in Geneva, stakeholders from across sectors gathered at the Internet Governance Forum in Norway to reflect on WSIS’s evolution and map a shared path forward.

The session, moderated by Gitanjali Sah of ITU, brought together over a dozen speakers from governments, UN agencies, civil society, and the technical and business communities.

The event is crucial, marking two decades since the WSIS process began. It has grown into a multistakeholder framework involving more than 50 UN entities. While the action lines offer a structured and inclusive approach to digital cooperation, participants acknowledged that measurement and implementation remain the weakest links.

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Ambassador Thomas Schneider of Switzerland—co-host of the upcoming high-level event—called for a shift from discussion to decision-making. “Dialogue is necessary but not sufficient,” he stated. “We must ensure these voices translate into outcomes.” Echoing this, South Africa’s representative, Cynthia, reaffirmed her country’s leadership as chair-designate of the event and its commitment to inclusive governance via its G20 presidency focus on AI, digital public infrastructure, and small business support.

UNDP’s Yu Ping Chan shared insights from the field: “Capacity building remains the number one request from governments. It’s not a new principle—it has been central since WSIS began.” She cited UNDP’s work on the Hamburg Declaration on responsible AI and AI ecosystem development in Africa as examples of translating global dialogue into national action.

Tatevik Grigoryan from UNESCO emphasised the enduring value of WSIS’s human rights-based foundations. “We continue to facilitate action lines on access to information, e-learning, and media ethics,” she said, encouraging engagement with UNESCO’s ROMEX framework as a tool for ethical, inclusive digital societies.

Veni from ICANN reinforced the technical community’s role, expressing hope that the WSIS Forum would be formally recognised in the UN’s review documents. “We must not overlook the forum’s contributions. Multistakeholder governance remains essential,” he insisted.

Representing the FAO, Dejan Jakovljević reminded participants that 700 million people remain undernourished. “Digital transformation in agriculture is vital. But farmers without connectivity are left behind,” he said, highlighting the WSIS framework’s role in fostering collaboration across sectors.

Anriette Esterhuysen of APC called civil society to embrace WSIS as a complementary forum to the IGF. “WSIS gives us a policy and implementation framework. It’s not just about talk—it’s about tools we can use at the national level.”

The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Andy Richardson underscored parliaments’ dual role: advancing innovation while protecting citizens. Meli from the International Chamber of Commerce pointed to business engagement through AI-related workshops and discussions on strengthening multi-stakeholders.

Gitanjali Sah acknowledged past successes but urged continued ambition. “We were very ambitious in 1998—and we must be again,” she said. Still, she noted a persistent challenge: “We lack clear indicators to measure WSIS action line progress. That’s a gap we must close.”

The upcoming Geneva event will feature 67 ministers, 72 WSIS champions, and a youth programme alongside the AI for Good summit. Delegates were encouraged to submit input to the UN review process by 15 July and to participate in shaping a WSIS future that is more measurable, inclusive, and action-oriented.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

AI sandboxes pave path for responsible innovation in developing countries

At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts from around the world gathered to examine how AI sandboxes—safe, controlled environments for testing new technologies under regulatory oversight—can help ensure that innovation remains responsible and inclusive, especially in developing countries. Moderated by Sophie Tomlinson of the DataSphere Initiative, the session spotlighted the growing global appeal of sandboxes, initially developed for fintech, and now extending into healthcare, transportation, and data governance.

Speakers emphasised that sandboxes provide a much-needed collaborative space for regulators, companies, and civil society to test AI solutions before launching them into the real world. Mariana Rozo-Paz from the DataSphere Initiative likened them to childhood spaces for building and experimentation, underscoring their agility and potential for creative governance.

From the European AI Office, Alex Moltzau described how the EU AI Act integrates sandboxes to support safe innovation and cross-border collaboration. On the African continent, where 25 sandboxes already exist (mainly in finance), countries like Nigeria are using them to implement data protection laws and shape national AI strategies. However, funding and legal authority remain hurdles.

The workshop laid bare several shared challenges: limited resources, lack of clear legal frameworks, and insufficient participation in civil society. Natalie Cohen of the OECD pointed out that just 41% of countries trust governments to regulate new technologies effectively—a gap that sandboxes can help bridge. By enabling evidence-based experimentation and promoting transparency, they serve as trust-building tools among governments, businesses, and communities.

Despite regional differences, there was consensus that AI sandboxes—when well-designed and inclusive—can drive equitable digital innovation. With initiatives like the Global Sandboxes Forum and OECD toolkits in progress, stakeholders signalled a readiness to move from theory to practice, viewing sandboxes as more than just regulatory experiments—they are, increasingly, catalysts for international cooperation and responsible AI deployment.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

UNESCO and ICANN lead push for multilingual and inclusive internet governance

At the 2025 Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts gathered to discuss how to involve diverse communities—especially indigenous and underrepresented groups—better in the technical governance of the internet. The session, led by Niger’s Anne Rachel Inne, emphasised that meaningful participation requires more than token inclusion; it demands structural reforms and practical engagement tools.

Central to the dialogue was the role of multilingualism, which UNESCO’s Guilherme Canela de Souza described as both a right and a necessity for true digital inclusion. ICANN’s Theresa Swinehart spotlighted ‘Universal Acceptance’ as a tangible step toward digital equality, ensuring that domain names and email addresses work in all languages and scripts.

Real-world examples, like hackathons with university students in Bahrain, showcased how digital cooperation can bridge technical skills and community needs. Meanwhile, Valts Ernstreits from Latvia shared how international engagement helped elevate the status of the Livonian language at home, proving that global advocacy can yield local policy wins.

The workshop addressed persistent challenges to inclusion: from bureaucratic hurdles that exclude indigenous communities to the lack of connections between technical and policy realms. Panellists agreed that real change hinges on collaboration, mentorship, and tools that meet people where they are, like WhatsApp groups and local capacity-building networks.

Participants also highlighted UNESCO’s roadmap for multilingualism and ICANN’s upcoming domain name support program as critical opportunities for further action. In a solution-oriented close, speakers urged continued efforts to make digital spaces more representative.

They underscored the need for long-term investment in community-driven infrastructure and policies that reflect the internet’s global diversity. The message was clear: equitable internet governance can only be achieved when all voices—across languages, regions, and technical backgrounds—are heard and empowered.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.