In September 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted the Global Digital Compact (GDC), mandating the establishment of two new institutional mechanisms for governing AI:
- The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
- The Global Dialogue on AI Governance
Starting on January 17th, UN Member States are set to begin negotiating a modalities resolution defining the terms of reference of the above mechanisms. Against a backdrop of rapid developments in artificial intelligence and numerous parallel AI governance processes, Permanent Missions across Geneva and New York are working to develop informed positions on the desired design of these institutions.
To support negotiators in preparing for these discussions, the Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) co-organized two targeted workshops focused on understanding the technical trade-offs in the upcoming modalities negotiations. On January 14th, 2025, SI held an in-person workshop in Geneva with the Permanent Mission of Pakistan, welcoming 16 diplomatic representatives. On January 16th, SI conducted an online workshop in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Iraq, the chair of the G77, welcoming 45 diplomatic representatives.
The workshop contents drew directly from SI’s recent interim report analyzing trade-offs, building blocks, and options for the modalities of the panel and dialogue, as well as from SI’s extensive engagement with and analysis of the 2024 GDC negotiations. Each session followed a structured format:
- The SI team opened by contextualizing the broader AI governance landscape and recent AI developments;
- The team presented our interim report and addressed audience questions;
- Participants collaboratively explored and discussed key trade-offs and points of disagreement;
- Participants developed concrete proposals for institutional design elements of both mechanisms
Throughout both workshops, participants raised important questions—ranging from the digital divide and the need for capacity building, to the importance of scientific excellence and speed, to finding ways to include different types of stakeholders without compromising the decision-making capacity of institutions.
If you’re interested in learning more about the workshop series, hosting future sessions, or our research work on the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and Global Dialogue on AI Governance, please do not hesitate to get in touch with kevin@simoninstitute.ch.