ITU Moves to Democratise Artificial Intelligence for Global Inclusivity

Emma Okonji

International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for digital technologies regulation, has called for the democratisation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to promote global inclusiveness.

ITU made the declaration during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, attended by 88 nations, insisting that AI’s promise is best realised only when its benefits are shared by humanity globally.

The opening ceremony of the summit was attended byITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other dignitaries.

In her remarks, Bogdan-Martin said: “We all recognise Artificial Intelligence has the potential to transform lives. We have heard it. We have seen it. But the true measure of success will be whether it reaches everyone in every country and in every local community. Whether AI becomes a bridge to innovation and opportunity or another fault line dividing those with access from those without, the answer will depend on three essential foundations: The three Ss: Standards, Skills, and Solutions.”

She described standards as the essential shared language for trustworthy, interoperable AI, adding that without shared standards, the world risks fragmentation, uncertainty, and unequal access.

She said technology alone would not change the world, but people, insisting that without the skills to use and shape AI, its opportunities will remain out of reach for too many.

In the area solutions, she said AI must deliver real impact in people’s lives by strengthening education, healthcare, advancing science, and expanding opportunity.

Bogdan-Martin therefore assured the audience that in each of the three essential foundations, ITU would serve as the trusted partner. “We cannot let the digital divide become the AI divide,” she further said.

Prime Minister Modi said: “AI is a transformative power. If directionless, it becomes a disruption; if the right direction is found, it becomes a solution. Through the seven chakras, India has articulated a compelling vision for a people-centric AI future. In the months ahead, as global leaders, experts, and innovators continue to come together, including at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July in Geneva, back-to-back with ITU’s AI for Good Global Summit, let us act together to ensure that AI becomes a bridge to opportunity for all.​”

At the AI Impact Summit 2026, ITU convened governments, industry, civil society and multilateral partners to explore how AI can be governed responsibly and deployed to deliver tangible benefits. Discussions centred on the standards, skills and partnerships required to turn technological progress into measurable public value.

A recurring outcome from the discussions was the growing importance of Edge AI, bringing intelligence closer to where data is generated and decisions are made. By moving compute from centralised cloud systems to devices, sensors and local infrastructure, Edge AI reduces latency, lowers energy consumption, strengthens privacy and enables faster, more resilient decision-making.

One of ITU’s official contributions to the summit was its AI for Good session. Since the launch of AI for Good in 2017, the physical embodiment of AI has become increasingly visible: robotics, embodied AI, brain-computer interfaces, and even space computing.

According to ITU, the agency will continue to advance standards, strengthen cooperation around AI governance, and support practical applications of AI that respond to real societal needs that can help to unlock AI potential to serve humanity, through collaboration with other UN sister agencies.

Global statistics on AI deployment however showed that as of early 2026, global AI deployment has transitioned from initial experimentation into a phase of widespread, albeit uneven, adoption, with 78 per cent of organisations reporting regular use of AI in at least one business function, up from 55 per cent in 2023. The global AI market is currently valued at approximately $244 billion to $391 billion in 2025 and is projected to experience exponential growth, potentially reaching over $1.8 trillion to $4.8 trillion by 2030-2033.