New Delhi: India will participate in the United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance in Geneva, starting today. The first inter-governmental dialogue dedicated exclusively to AI will bring together international organizations, industry representatives, researchers, and civil society groups.
The dialogue comes just ahead of the AI for Good Global Summit, set to convene in Geneva from July 8 – a sequencing that organizers say is designed to keep policy discussions on AI governance separate from conversations on innovation and the use of new technologies.
According to the UN, the dialogue will address AI governance frameworks, capacity-building, sustainable development, technical cooperation, and the role AI can play in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN has described the dialogue as complementing, rather than replacing, existing national and regional AI initiatives.
The two-day meeting is one of the first institutional outcomes to emerge from the Global Digital Compact, adopted by UN member states at the Summit of the Future in September 2024. The compact identified AI as a critical global issue requiring international cooperation and called for the establishment of two new bodies to advance this work – an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance. Both bodies were formally established through a subsequent UN General Assembly resolution adopted in August 2025.
Since the compact’s adoption, UN agencies, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, have been working to develop a common language and coordination mechanisms among member states, rather than pursuing a legally binding treaty through UN processes.
India’s participation in the dialogue comes as it positions itself as an influential voice in the global conversation on how new technologies affect people and countries worldwide. The Indian government has not issued any formal statement on its planned role in the Geneva talks. However, recent official statements have consistently emphasized promoting responsible AI, supporting inclusive digital development, and ensuring that the needs of developing countries are represented in global governance structures.