Closing remarks – Charting the path forward

Summary

This transcript captures the closing remarks of an AI governance dialogue at the AI for Good Summit, featuring three key speakers who summarized the day’s discussions and outcomes. The session was co-chaired by His Excellency Engineer Majed Sultan Al-Mesmar, Director General of the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and Madame Anne Bouverot, France’s special envoy for AI, with additional remarks from Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.

Al-Mesmar highlighted five critical points from the dialogue: the need to close global gaps in AI readiness through capacity building, the importance of applying AI governance to specific sectors like health and education with community involvement, the foundational role of technical standards and audit protocols developed through international processes, the growing importance of governing compute resources and large foundation models as AI scales, and the necessity of coherent policy frameworks to prevent fragmentation. Bouverot emphasized three key themes: the call for inclusive global governance that involves all countries and stakeholders rather than just a select few, the need to move beyond principles to practical solutions and technical standards, and the critical importance of addressing AI’s environmental impact through sustainable practices and green infrastructure.

Lamanauskas concluded by reinforcing the dialogue’s demonstration of widespread hunger for inclusive AI governance and emphasized that the real work begins with turning dialogue into action. All speakers stressed the collaborative nature of the discussions, with over 350 participants from 170+ countries representing governments, industry, academia, and civil society. The session concluded with a commitment to continue working together to shape AI governance that is inclusive, sustainable, and beneficial for all humanity.

Keypoints

**Major Discussion Points:**

– **Closing the Global AI Readiness Gap**: Emphasis on capacity building initiatives including policy advice, skills training, institutional strengthening, and financial support to empower communities worldwide to govern AI effectively and innovate in sectors like health, education, and agriculture.

– **Inclusive Global AI Governance**: Strong call for AI governance that involves all countries, not just a few, along with researchers, scientists, innovators, and civil society. Multiple speakers emphasized the need for multi-stakeholder participation across governments, industry, academia, and civil society.

– **Moving from Principles to Practical Implementation**: Recognition that AI governance must shift from abstract principles to concrete solutions, technical standards, and specific initiatives that deliver practical impact and results.

– **Environmental Sustainability of AI**: Highlighting the critical need to address AI’s environmental footprint through energy efficiency, green infrastructure, and policies that align technological progress with climate responsibility.

– **Technical Standards and Interoperability**: Discussion of the foundational importance of technical standards, benchmarks, and audit protocols for safe, interoperable AI governance, developed through international multi-stakeholder processes.

**Overall Purpose:**

The discussion served as closing remarks for an AI governance dialogue at the AI for Good Summit, bringing together international leaders to synthesize key insights from the day’s conversations and establish a framework for future collaborative action on inclusive, sustainable AI governance.

**Overall Tone:**

The tone throughout was consistently formal, diplomatic, and optimistic. It maintained a collaborative and forward-looking atmosphere, with speakers expressing mutual respect and shared commitment to inclusive AI governance. The tone emphasized partnership, international cooperation, and collective responsibility, remaining constructive and solution-oriented from beginning to end.

Speakers

– **LJ Rich**: Moderator/Host of the AI governance dialogue session

– **Anne Bouverot**: Special Envoy of France for AI, Co-chair of the AI governance dialogue

– **Majed Sultan Al Mesmar**: His Excellency Engineer, Director General of Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) for the UAE, Co-chair of the AI governance dialogue

– **Tomas Lamanauskas**: Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Additional speakers:

None identified beyond the provided speakers names list.

# AI Governance Dialogue: Closing Remarks and Future Directions

## Executive Summary

This report captures the closing remarks of an AI governance dialogue at the AI for Good Summit, featuring three international leaders who provided concluding perspectives on AI governance priorities. The session included His Excellency Engineer Majed Sultan Al-Mesmar, Director General of the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), Madame Anne Bouverot, France’s Special Envoy for AI, and Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, with LJ Rich serving as moderator.

The dialogue involved over 350 participants from 170+ countries representing governments, industry, academia, and civil society. Each speaker provided distinct perspectives on moving from principles to practical implementation in AI governance.

## Session Structure and Participants

**LJ Rich** moderated the session, introducing each speaker and facilitating the closing remarks format.

**His Excellency Engineer Majed Sultan Al-Mesmar** delivered structured remarks as co-chair of the AI governance dialogue, presenting five key areas for AI governance development.

**Madame Anne Bouverot**, France’s Special Envoy for AI and co-chair of the dialogue, arrived partway through the session and emphasized practical implementation and environmental sustainability.

**Tomas Lamanauskas**, Deputy Secretary-General of the ITU, provided concluding remarks synthesizing the dialogue themes and calling for concrete action.

## Key Messages from Each Speaker

### Al-Mesmar’s Five-Point Framework

Al-Mesmar structured his remarks around five specific areas:

1. **Closing the Global AI Readiness Gap**: Emphasized capacity building and empowering communities worldwide to govern AI effectively and innovate in sectors like health, education, and agriculture.

2. **AI Value Through Applications**: Noted that “AI value is realised through applications in health, education, agriculture, humanitarian assistance including disaster management” and stressed that governance should involve respective communities and adopt cross-government and cross-society approaches.

3. **Technical Standards and Benchmarks**: Highlighted the need for “technical standards, benchmarks and audit protocols for safe, interoperable and agile AI governance, developed through international multi-stakeholder processes.”

4. **Governance of Compute Resources and Foundation Models**: Stated that “governance of compute resources and large foundation models becomes critical as AI models scale in capability.”

5. **Coherent Policy Frameworks**: Called for “coherent and interoperable policy frameworks to prevent fragmentation while providing clear policy direction through agile governance.”

### Bouverot’s Focus on Implementation and Sustainability

Bouverot emphasized the transition from principles to practical action, stating: “we need to not only focus on principles and just the ways we want governance to align with values. Of course, this is very important. But we need to, this will remain hollow, and we will need to make sure we’re much more focused on practical solutions and tools and technical standards and specific initiatives so that we get practical impact.”

She highlighted environmental considerations, noting that “the environmental footprint of AI cannot be ignored and must include sustainability through energy efficiency, green infrastructure, and policies that align technological progress with climate responsibility.”

Bouverot referenced the Paris Summit in February and the AI Foundation launched there, mentioning that the sustainable AI coalition has grown from 90 to 200 partners. She also stressed that “AI governance must involve all countries, not just a few, requiring inclusive global governance that includes governments, researchers, innovators, and civil society.”

### Lamanauskas’s Call to Action

Lamanauskas provided concluding remarks emphasizing the transition from dialogue to implementation. He stated that “the real work begins now” and stressed the need to “turn from dialogue to action” to ensure principles are reflected in AI systems.

He thanked Doreen Bogdan Martin and acknowledged the ITU’s role, emphasizing the “need for continued cooperation across borders, sectors, academic and industry fields to build inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable AI future.”

Lamanauskas concluded by stating that participants must “turn dialogue into decisive follow-up actions.”

## Common Themes

### Inclusive Global Participation

All speakers emphasized the importance of broad international participation in AI governance, with particular attention to including developing countries and diverse stakeholder groups.

### From Principles to Practice

A central theme was the need to move beyond abstract principles toward concrete implementation tools, technical standards, and practical governance mechanisms.

### Multi-Stakeholder Approaches

Speakers consistently advocated for governance approaches that involve governments, industry, academia, and civil society working together.

### Environmental Sustainability

Environmental considerations were highlighted as an integral part of AI governance, not an afterthought.

## Future Commitments

The speakers established commitments for continued collaboration, including:

– Ongoing partnership between France and the UAE on AI governance

– Continued diplomatic efforts for inclusive AI governance in future international meetings

– Expansion of the sustainable AI coalition

– Translation of dialogue outcomes into concrete implementation efforts

## Conclusion

The closing remarks demonstrated alignment on fundamental principles while highlighting the complexity of implementation challenges. Each speaker contributed distinct perspectives: Al-Mesmar provided a structured framework for governance development, Bouverot emphasized the urgency of moving to practical implementation with environmental considerations, and Lamanauskas called for immediate action to translate dialogue into concrete results.

The session concluded with a photograph opportunity, marking the formal end of the AI governance dialogue portion of the summit.

LJ Rich: Helped to guide the process forward So I’m going to mention them and then we will invite them on the stage once it’s ready for them And we have his excellency engineer Majed Sultan al-Mesmar Director General Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority. That’s the TDR a for the UAE We also oh, yes. Do you want to do a little round of applause? Yes, we can I’ll also invite to the stage. Hello there. Please. Take a seat. I will come and sit over here Let me also invite please Madame Anne Bouverot special envoy of France for AI please could you come up as well? I Think it’s oh she’s running a little bit late audience Let’s just save that round of applause and we will we will get her we can we can chat for a little bit Okay, so we also have mr. Tomas Lamanauskas deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union joining us as well. Thank you so much Thomas and When Madame Bouverot arrives, we have a seat saved for her which is quite lovely, isn’t it? Oh, well audience I have to say it’s been quite an amazing day, hasn’t it? But we are going to have an even more amazing set of closing remarks And I think if we’re ready to start I’m just going to check with our fabulous team at the back if it’s okay to continue with our first speaker Yes, excellent. Wonderful. All right. So in that case as Madame Bouverot is currently running a little bit late We’re going to get ready for our second speaker Which is from an area that is really known for getting technology really at the forefront of so many different things So, please allow me to hear some fabulous reflections as we invite to the stage His Excellency engineer Majed Sultan Al-Mesmar to the lectern. Thank you

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar: Thank you good afternoon to all of you Excellency distinguished guests colleagues It’s been distinct privilege to co-chair Today’s AI governance dialogue with Madame Bouverot I echo her sentence sentiments Our joint leadership today is a testament to the critical importance of this AI governance dialogue and its impact around the world This is a partnership. We have been committed to and deeply value I will highlight some of Key points that have emerged from today’s discussion First closing global gap in AI Readiness is critical capacity building initiatives spanning policy advice skills training institutional strengthening and financial support Should empower communities worldwide to govern AI Effectively and to innovate in key sectors such as health education and agriculture Second the value of AI is realized through its applications in health education agriculture humanitarian assistance including in disaster management and many other critical areas Governance should involve respective communities Adopt cross-government and cross-society approach and leverage international frameworks so that AI can deliver targeted benefits and address sector specific challenges Third technical standards benchmarks and audit protocols are foundational for safe interoperable and agile AI governance Developed through international multi-stakeholder processes These tools should be evidence-based and adaptable to rapid technological evolution Fourth as AI models scale in capability Governance of compute resources and large foundation models become more important access to compute infrastructure robust risk assessment and accountability frameworks ensure that powerful AI system serve the public interest Finally which is the fifth coherent and interoperable policy frameworks prevent fragmentation While providing clear policy direction Agile governance integrating adaptable rules and inclusivity Inclusivity developed technical standards enable flexible adoption to technological evidence and with that I end my remarks and I would like to thank all who contributed in the Dialogues today. Thank you very much

LJ Rich: Thank you very much your excellency an excellent way to start things off and it is a real pleasure now to invite madam Bouverot to the lectern. Thank you so much

Anne Bouverot: Your excellencies distinguished guests colleagues ladies and gentlemen It was really a great honor for me to co-chair today’s AI governance dialogue alongside his excellency engineer Majed Sultan Al Mesmar. Thank you so much Our co-chairing I think even strengthens the collaboration between France and the Middle East in general and the UAE in particular on AI An effort that I am personally committed to continuing in the future In a time of geopolitical uncertainties It is important for us all here to be at the AI for good summit with more than 350 participants from over 170 countries across governments industry academia The technical community and civil society. I really applaud this multi-stakeholder multi Perspective Group of people gathered here today and I want to congratulate ITU and and in particular Doreen Bogdan Martin for making sure that this is the case. I Would like to focus on three key teams that I have heard at the meeting today It could be more but I’ve decided to pick three The first one is the call for inclusive global governance Many of you many of us have underscored that AI governance must involve all countries Not just a few and and we’ve had numerous examples of countries not being included in in various Governance forum. This is the spirit that France promoted at the Paris Summit back in February for inclusive and sustainable AI. We need to include everyone in the discussions. This means countries, of course, but, and I explained it earlier, this also means researchers and scientists. This also means innovators. This also means, very importantly, civil society. And our diplomatic efforts will remain deeply committed to this holistic approach, which will continue to spread in future meetings. We also very much hope that this will be the case for the AI Impact Summit, which India will be hosting at the beginning of next year. Second, I think we need to not only focus on principles and just the ways we want governance to align with values. Of course, this is very important. But we need to, this will remain hollow, and we will need to make sure we’re much more focused on practical solutions and tools and technical standards and specific initiatives so that we get practical impact. I think this moving from principles to specifics is extremely important for our multilateral work in general and for AI in particular. This is harder, but this is what will bring practical results. This was at the core of, for example, the current AI Foundation that we launched at the Paris Summit to provide access to technology to everyone and for the benefits of all. And the third point, which I have to speak about because I think it’s extremely important, is the environmental impact of AI. The environmental footprint of AI cannot be ignored. AI governance must include sustainability through energy efficiency, through green infrastructure, through policies that align technological progress with climate responsibility. With the ITU and with a number of you, at the Paris Summit, we launched a coalition for sustainable AI. This coalition had about 90 partners at the time of the summit in February. It has now close to 200 partners. I think this is a specific example of people joining for an initiative when they want to join it, and the objective, of course, is to bring the quality to align the development of AI and its use that can be very beneficial with also caring for the planet and ensuring that we align with the global climate discussion, which is also very important. Those were, there are more points, but those were the three points I wanted to highlight. Our discussions today have benefited tremendously from the expertise and capacity building efforts from the ITU, and I want to thank the ITU for having this role of a platform bringing us all together. I’d like to thank everyone at ITU, but in particular, I’d like to thank you, Doreen, for this role that you’ve been spearheading since a number of years. Let me conclude by reaffirming this. The future of AI governance must be inclusive, sustainable, and focused on practical outcomes. Let us carry forward today’s momentum together. Thank you very much.

LJ Rich: Thank you. That was absolutely lovely and really well thought out and beautifully delivered like our earlier speech, and now it’s a pleasure to invite finally up to the stage, it’s DSG Thomas Lamanauskas.

Tomas Lamanauskas: It’s really a pleasure to be here, and of course, it’s great to hear that very insightful summary from Anne and Marjorie. It’s really very well capturing today, and it’s really, I think this will be living legacy of today indeed. So indeed, thank you. Our co-chairs, more formally, MadamAnne Bouverot and His Excellency Majed Sultan Al Mesmar for your leadership throughout this dialogue today. It’s been vital in helping us set the tone for thoughtful, inclusive, and forward-looking discussions. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the moderators and panelists today as well for bringing depth and perspective of today’s conversations. This very rich content that we heard from today, those insights really shaped those conclusions that were heard. Your contributions have helped highlight not only the technical and policy dimensions of AI governance, but also the human values that must be at the core. Before we bring today to a close, I would like to build on your reflections of today’s dialogue as well. So what did it show us today? First, it’s shown that the huge hunger for inclusive AI governance, the hunger that’s really real here in these rooms and these discussions. It is this hunger around about having access to access, skills, infrastructure, and a seat in the table in these important discussions. Second, today has made it clear that the real work begins now. Indeed, we need to make sure that we turn from the dialogue to the action. This dialogue is a critical starting point, but must lead to the further decisive follow-up actions. To ensure that the principles that we’ve discussed here are reflected in the AI systems that are already out there today, and that they’re shaping the ones that are being built for tomorrow. Ladies and gentlemen, we can be really proud of the important steps towards effective AI governance in making it inclusive, and making it sustainable, and making it equitable for all. These are the steps that we’ve taken today and we’ve taken together. I really would like to thank all the participants of today’s dialogue. Your engagement, your questions, your collective wisdom has helped us to chart this very important path forward. As we look ahead, let’s stay committed. Let’s keep cooperating across borders, across sectors, across academic and industry fields. Let’s build a future where AI advances progress for all humanity. A shared visual future that is again inclusive, equitable, prosperous, and sustainable for all. Thank you very much everyone. Thank you very much.

LJ Rich: Thank you to all three of you. And thank you to everyone who’s contributed to today’s AI governance dialogue. The conversations today are just the beginning and we’ll continue working together to shape the future of AI for the good of all. And I think it might be a perfect opportunity to have a photograph with the three of you if that’s okay. So let’s put you right front and center of the AI for good logo and then we can have a little photograph please. Thank you.

Agreement points

Need for inclusive global AI governance involving all stakeholders

Speakers

– Majed Sultan Al Mesmar
– Anne Bouverot
– Tomas Lamanauskas
– LJ Rich

Arguments

Governance should involve respective communities and adopt cross-government and cross-society approaches to deliver targeted benefits

AI governance must involve all countries, not just a few, requiring inclusive global governance that includes governments, researchers, innovators, and civil society

Need for continued cooperation across borders, sectors, academic and industry fields to build inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable AI future

Multi-stakeholder participation with over 350 participants from 170+ countries demonstrates the global commitment to inclusive AI governance

Summary

All speakers emphasized the critical importance of inclusive AI governance that involves all countries, communities, and stakeholder groups rather than limiting participation to a select few. They advocate for cross-sectoral, cross-border collaboration.

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Sociocultural

Importance of moving from principles to practical implementation

Speakers

– Majed Sultan Al Mesmar
– Anne Bouverot
– Tomas Lamanauskas

Arguments

Technical standards, benchmarks and audit protocols are foundational for safe, interoperable and agile AI governance, developed through international multi-stakeholder processes

Moving from principles to practical solutions, tools, technical standards and specific initiatives is essential for achieving real impact

Real work begins now with turning dialogue into decisive follow-up actions to ensure principles are reflected in current and future AI systems

Summary

Speakers agreed that while principles are important, the focus must shift to concrete implementation through technical standards, practical tools, and decisive actions that translate governance principles into real-world AI systems.

Topics

Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory | Development

Recognition of AI’s transformative potential across critical sectors

Speakers

– Majed Sultan Al Mesmar
– Anne Bouverot

Arguments

AI value is realized through applications in health, education, agriculture, humanitarian assistance including disaster management

The future of AI governance must be inclusive, sustainable, and focused on practical outcomes

Summary

Both speakers acknowledged AI’s significant potential to deliver benefits across essential sectors like health, education, and agriculture, emphasizing the need for governance frameworks that enable these practical applications.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural | Infrastructure

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the need for unified, adaptable policy frameworks that can provide clear direction while remaining flexible enough to adapt to technological changes and deliver practical results.

Speakers

– Majed Sultan Al Mesmar
– Anne Bouverot

Arguments

Need for coherent and interoperable policy frameworks to prevent fragmentation while providing clear policy direction through agile governance

Moving from principles to practical solutions, tools, technical standards and specific initiatives is essential for achieving real impact

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure | Development

Both speakers share a vision of AI governance that prioritizes inclusivity, sustainability, and equity, requiring sustained collaboration across multiple dimensions to achieve a future that benefits all humanity.

Speakers

– Anne Bouverot
– Tomas Lamanauskas

Arguments

The future of AI governance must be inclusive, sustainable, and focused on practical outcomes

Need for continued cooperation across borders, sectors, academic and industry fields to build inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable AI future

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Sociocultural

Unexpected consensus

Environmental sustainability as a core component of AI governance

Speakers

– Anne Bouverot

Arguments

Environmental footprint of AI cannot be ignored and must include sustainability through energy efficiency, green infrastructure, and climate-responsible policies

Explanation

While environmental concerns are increasingly important in technology discussions, the explicit emphasis on environmental sustainability as a fundamental aspect of AI governance represents a notable consensus point that bridges technology policy with climate responsibility. The growth of the sustainable AI coalition from 90 to 200 partners demonstrates unexpected momentum in this area.

Topics

Development | Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory

Governance of compute resources and large foundation models as a critical priority

Speakers

– Majed Sultan Al Mesmar

Arguments

Governance of compute resources and large foundation models becomes critical as AI models scale in capability

Explanation

The specific focus on governing computational infrastructure and large AI models represents an unexpected technical depth in governance discussions, highlighting the recognition that AI governance must address the fundamental resources and architectures that enable AI systems.

Topics

Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory | Cybersecurity

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrated strong consensus on the need for inclusive, practical, and collaborative approaches to AI governance. Key areas of agreement include the importance of global participation, the necessity of moving from principles to implementation, and the recognition of AI’s transformative potential across sectors.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with complementary perspectives rather than conflicting viewpoints. The speakers built upon each other’s points, suggesting a shared understanding of AI governance challenges and solutions. This strong alignment has positive implications for advancing coordinated international efforts in AI governance, as it demonstrates that diverse stakeholders can find common ground on fundamental principles and approaches.

Different viewpoints

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers showed remarkable consensus on AI governance principles with no direct disagreements identified. The main differences were in emphasis and approach rather than fundamental disagreement on goals or methods.

Disagreement level

Very low disagreement level. This high level of consensus suggests strong international alignment on AI governance fundamentals, which is positive for developing coordinated global approaches. However, the lack of substantive debate may also indicate that the more challenging implementation details and potential conflicts were not fully explored in this dialogue format.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the need for unified, adaptable policy frameworks that can provide clear direction while remaining flexible enough to adapt to technological changes and deliver practical results.

Speakers

– Majed Sultan Al Mesmar
– Anne Bouverot

Arguments

Need for coherent and interoperable policy frameworks to prevent fragmentation while providing clear policy direction through agile governance

Moving from principles to practical solutions, tools, technical standards and specific initiatives is essential for achieving real impact

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure | Development

Both speakers share a vision of AI governance that prioritizes inclusivity, sustainability, and equity, requiring sustained collaboration across multiple dimensions to achieve a future that benefits all humanity.

Speakers

– Anne Bouverot
– Tomas Lamanauskas

Arguments

The future of AI governance must be inclusive, sustainable, and focused on practical outcomes

Need for continued cooperation across borders, sectors, academic and industry fields to build inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable AI future

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Sociocultural

Key takeaways

AI governance must be inclusive and involve all countries, not just a few, with participation from governments, researchers, innovators, and civil society

There is a critical need to close global gaps in AI readiness through comprehensive capacity building initiatives including policy advice, skills training, institutional strengthening, and financial support

Technical standards, benchmarks, and audit protocols are foundational for safe, interoperable AI governance and must be developed through international multi-stakeholder processes

AI governance must shift from principles to practical solutions, tools, and specific initiatives to achieve real-world impact

Environmental sustainability must be integrated into AI governance through energy efficiency, green infrastructure, and climate-responsible policies

AI’s value is realized through sector-specific applications in health, education, agriculture, and humanitarian assistance, requiring community involvement and cross-government approaches

Governance of compute resources and large foundation models becomes increasingly important as AI systems scale in capability

Coherent and interoperable policy frameworks are needed to prevent fragmentation while enabling agile governance

Resolutions and action items

Continue the collaboration between France and the Middle East/UAE on AI governance

Maintain diplomatic efforts for inclusive AI governance in future meetings including the AI Impact Summit hosted by India

Expand the coalition for sustainable AI (which grew from 90 to 200 partners since the Paris Summit)

Turn dialogue into decisive follow-up actions to ensure principles are reflected in current and future AI systems

Continue cooperation across borders, sectors, academic and industry fields to build an inclusive AI future

Unresolved issues

Specific mechanisms for how to practically include all countries in AI governance discussions

Detailed implementation strategies for closing global AI readiness gaps

Concrete technical standards and benchmarks that need to be developed

Specific governance frameworks for compute resources and large foundation models

Measurable targets and timelines for environmental sustainability in AI development

Suggested compromises

N

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n

e

i

d

e

n

t

i

f

i

e

d

Governance should involve respective communities. Adopt cross-government and cross-society approach and leverage international frameworks so that AI can deliver targeted benefits and address sector specific challenges

Speaker

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar

Reason

This comment is insightful because it moves beyond generic AI governance principles to emphasize the critical importance of community-specific governance approaches. It recognizes that AI applications in health, education, and agriculture require different governance frameworks tailored to each sector’s unique challenges and stakeholder needs.

Impact

This comment established a foundational theme that influenced the subsequent speakers. It shifted the discussion from broad AI governance concepts to more nuanced, sector-specific approaches, setting up a framework that Anne Bouverot later built upon with her emphasis on practical solutions over abstract principles.

We need to not only focus on principles and just the ways we want governance to align with values… But we need to, this will remain hollow, and we will need to make sure we’re much more focused on practical solutions and tools and technical standards and specific initiatives so that we get practical impact… This moving from principles to specifics is extremely important

Speaker

Anne Bouverot

Reason

This is a particularly thought-provoking comment because it directly challenges the tendency in AI governance discussions to remain at the level of high-level principles. Bouverot identifies a critical gap between aspirational values and actionable implementation, calling for a fundamental shift in how multilateral AI governance approaches are structured.

Impact

This comment created a pivotal moment in the discussion, introducing a more critical and pragmatic perspective. It challenged the conventional approach to AI governance and provided a clear directive for future work. This perspective was then reinforced by Lamanauskas, who emphasized that ‘the real work begins now’ and the need to ‘turn from dialogue to action.’

The environmental footprint of AI cannot be ignored. AI governance must include sustainability through energy efficiency, through green infrastructure, through policies that align technological progress with climate responsibility

Speaker

Anne Bouverot

Reason

This comment is insightful because it introduces an often-overlooked dimension of AI governance – environmental sustainability. While most AI governance discussions focus on ethics, safety, and economic impacts, Bouverot brings attention to the significant environmental costs of AI systems, particularly large-scale computing infrastructure.

Impact

This comment expanded the scope of the AI governance dialogue beyond traditional concerns, introducing environmental considerations as a core governance requirement rather than an afterthought. It demonstrated practical application of her earlier point about moving from principles to specifics, citing the concrete example of the coalition for sustainable AI that grew from 90 to 200 partners.

Today has made it clear that the real work begins now. Indeed, we need to make sure that we turn from the dialogue to the action… To ensure that the principles that we’ve discussed here are reflected in the AI systems that are already out there today, and that they’re shaping the ones that are being built for tomorrow

Speaker

Tomas Lamanauskas

Reason

This comment is thought-provoking because it directly addresses the implementation gap that often exists between high-level policy discussions and real-world impact. Lamanauskas acknowledges that while dialogue is important, it must translate into concrete changes in existing and future AI systems.

Impact

This comment served as a call to action that synthesized the previous speakers’ themes while adding urgency to the discussion. It reinforced Bouverot’s emphasis on practical solutions and created a bridge between the day’s discussions and future commitments, effectively serving as a rallying cry for continued collaboration and concrete follow-up actions.

Overall assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by creating a progressive narrative arc that moved from foundational principles to practical implementation challenges. Al Mesmar established the importance of community-specific approaches, Bouverot challenged the field to move beyond abstract principles to concrete action while introducing environmental considerations, and Lamanauskas synthesized these themes into a call for immediate action. Together, these comments transformed what could have been a routine closing ceremony into a more substantive dialogue about the real challenges facing AI governance implementation. The speakers built upon each other’s insights, creating a cohesive message that emphasized inclusivity, practicality, sustainability, and urgency – themes that appear to reflect the broader discussions from the day’s events.

How to effectively close the global gap in AI readiness through capacity building initiatives

Speaker

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar

Explanation

This was identified as a critical area needing policy advice, skills training, institutional strengthening and financial support to empower communities worldwide to govern AI effectively

How to develop and implement technical standards, benchmarks and audit protocols for AI governance

Speaker

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar

Explanation

These were identified as foundational tools needed for safe, interoperable and agile AI governance that should be evidence-based and adaptable to rapid technological evolution

How to govern compute resources and large foundation models as AI models scale in capability

Speaker

Majed Sultan Al Mesmar

Explanation

This was highlighted as becoming more important with scaling AI capabilities, requiring access to compute infrastructure, robust risk assessment and accountability frameworks

How to move from AI governance principles to practical solutions and technical standards

Speaker

Anne Bouverot

Explanation

She emphasized that focusing only on principles would remain hollow and there’s a need to focus on practical solutions, tools, technical standards and specific initiatives for real impact

How to address and minimize the environmental impact of AI systems

Speaker

Anne Bouverot

Explanation

She stressed that AI governance must include sustainability through energy efficiency, green infrastructure, and policies that align technological progress with climate responsibility

How to turn dialogue into decisive follow-up actions for AI governance

Speaker

Tomas Lamanauskas

Explanation

He emphasized that while dialogue is a critical starting point, the real work begins now in ensuring principles discussed are reflected in existing AI systems and shape future ones