Description

The United Nations University (UNU) AI Network Dialogue session held in collaboration with ISAIL brought together international stakeholders to examine critical challenges in AI governance localization. The session brought together experts from Europe, Southeast Asia, India, the United Kingdom, and other regions to discuss challenges and strategies to AI governance localisation in the Global South. The dialogue touched upon sovereignty claims, interoperability frameworks, and the development of proportional governance mechanisms that respect both individual rights and national interests.

The session builds on the context of global AI governance initiatives including the UNESCO AI Recommendation 2021, the Bletchley Declaration, and emerging bilateral cooperation frameworks. The discussion centred on the fundamental tension between global AI standards, local sovereignty, and technical capabilities, examining how nations can develop contextualized approaches while maintaining essential protective functions and technological relevance.

Incumbent Members of the Dialogue Session

• Weiyu Zhang, Director, The Civic Tech Lab, National University of Singapore
• Christopher ZHU, Co-chair, CODATA Connect, Committee on Data of the International Science Council
• Francis P. Crawley, Chair, CODATA International Data Policy Committee (IDPC)
• Ayushi Agarwal, Patron Member, Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law
• Vishwam Jindal, CEO, WebNyay
• Abhivardhan, President, Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law (Moderator)
• Bahadur Shah, Patron Member, Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law (Co-Moderator)

Editors of the Document

• Bahadur Shah, Patron Member, Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law
• Nisha Singh, Patron Member, Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law
• Hamda Arfeen, Patron Member, Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law

Discussion Points

1. Sovereignty & Interoperability

What specific provisions in AI governance frameworks must remain under local sovereign control, and which elements require standardization across regions to ensure cross-border AI systems function effectively?

2. Proportionality in Governance

How should compliance requirements be calibrated to reflect the vastly different technical and financial resources of AI system developers in the Global South compared to multinational corporations?

3. Essential Protective Functions

What are the 3-5 non-negotiable protections that must be maintained even in resource-constrained implementation environments, and what specific mechanisms can deliver these protections most efficiently? 

4. Distributed Oversight Models (Subsidiarity in regulatory implementation)

Which specific governance functions can be effectively distributed to non-governmental stakeholders without compromising public authority, and what accountability mechanisms ensure their proper execution?

5. Technological Relevance (governance must address actual technological capabilities rather than theoretical possibilities)

How can governance frameworks be designed to remain effective despite significant disparities in AI systems deployed across different regions within the Global South?