The future of technology is getting more interesting as the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) takes centre stage.
But while the fast adoption creates excitement for scientists and those who desire to deploy technology for everyday use and everything,there are manifest fears of possible abuse of AI if strategies are not put in place to guide both promoters and users.
Questions of ethics and compliance are being raised and these have created worries for everyone.
And to douse these fears and create a semblance of comfort for all,AI governance is becoming necessary to stem a potential unwholesome practice.
“AI governance encompasses the frameworks, policies and practices that promote the responsible, ethical and safe development and use of AI systems. It establishes the guardrails that enable innovation while protecting stakeholders from potential harm” analysts agree.
Responsible AI governance considers among others:Ethical standards which define AI governance policies to promote human-centric and trustworthy AI and ensure a high level of protection of health, safety and fundamental human rights.
On regulations and policies,Boards consider compliance with applicable legal frameworks that govern AI usage where they operate, or intend to operate, such as the European Union (EU) AI Act.
The governance treats Accountability and oversight to ensure Organizations assign responsibility for AI decisions to ensure human oversight and prevent misuse and abuse.
Chief technology officers, risk officers, chief legal officers and their boards must develop a governance approach that protects data, prevents unauthorized access to ensure that AI systems don’t become a cybersecurity threat.
As AI governance quickly emerges as one of the most pressing strategic challenges facing boards and everyday living today,its governance remains a major concern.
In the Q4 2025 Business Risk Index conducted by Diligent Institute and Corporate Board Member, “60% of legal, compliance and audit leaders now cite technology as their top risk concern — well ahead of economic factors (33%) and tariffs (23%). Yet despite this urgency, only 29% of organizations have comprehensive AI governance plans in place.”
Although there’s currently no wide-scale governing body to write and enforce these rules, many technology companies have adopted their own version of AI ethics or an AI code of conduct.
AI ethics are the set of guiding principles that stakeholders (from engineers to government officials) use to ensure artificial intelligence technology is developed and used responsibly. This means taking a safe, secure, humane, and environmentally friendly approach to AI.
A strong AI code of ethics can include avoiding bias, ensuring privacy of users and their data, and mitigating environmental risks. Codes of ethics in companies and government-led regulatory frameworks are two main ways that AI ethics can be implemented.
By covering global and national ethical AI issues, and laying the policy groundwork for ethical AI in companies, both approaches help regulate AI technology.
The future will see large parts of our lives influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Machines can execute repetitive tasks with complete precision, and with recent advances in AI, machines are gaining the ability to learn, improve and make calculated decisions in ways that will enable them to perform tasks previously thought to rely on human experience, creativity, and ingenuity.
“AI innovation will be central to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by capitalizing on the unprecedented quantities of data now being generated on sentiment behavior, human health, commerce, communications, migration and more” according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) documents.
ITU said it will provide a neutral platform for government, industry and academia to build a common understanding of the capabilities of emerging AI technologies and consequent needs for technical standardization and policy guidance.
“Countries must put in conscious efforts to mitigate the dangers of deployment if they want to achieve positive results.” ITU said.
AI governance is calculated to prevent bias whereby AI models can inherit biases from training data, leading to unfair hiring, lending, policing and healthcare outcomes.
The report states that Governance proactively identifies and mitigates these biases.
Aside from that,AI governance prioritizes accountability when AI makes decisions, and holds someone responsible.
Governance holds humans accountable for AI-driven actions, preventing harm from automated decision-making.
Price WaterhouseCooper (PwC),s Head of AI Public Policy and Ethics,Maria Axente was quoted as saying that “We need to be thinking, ‘What AI do we have in the house, who owns it and who’s ultimately accountable?’”
AI governance should protect privacy and security where AI relies on vast amounts of data, a particular risk for healthcare and financial organizations handling sensitive information.
Governance establishes guidelines for data protection, encryption and ethical use of personal information.
Governance Prepares for AI’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact.
“Generative AI has a significant environmental impact, requiring massive amounts of electricity and water for every query. It also reshapes job markets and corporate operations.”Governance helps create policies that balance AI’s opportunities with its ESG risks and by promoting transparency and trust,Many AI systems are considered “black boxes” with little insight into their decision-making.
Governance encourages transparency and helps users trust and interpret AI outcomes.
Governance Balances innovation and risk as AI holds immense potential for progress in healthcare, finance and education, governance weighs innovation alongside possible ethical considerations and public harm.
As the future of AI becomes a way of life,global telecommunications regulators,the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) says Geneva ,Switzerland is fast becoming the global headquarters for AI.
From July 7 through 10,2026 the world will converge to deliberate and conclude talks on AI governance.
It will host the seventh edition of “AI for good summit” as governments,institutions crystallize strategies for the future of AI across industries,homes ,governments and the workplace.
“AI for Good will be held back-to-back with the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, convened by the United Nations General Assembly and facilitated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at Palexpo from July 6 to 7, where the Global Dialogue is supported by a joint secretariat that include the Executive Office of the Secretary General, ITU, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), with ITU and UNESCO leading the coordination.
“As artificial intelligence moves from strategy to real-world deployment, countries need the skills, solutions, and international standards for AI to work for everyone,” according to ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
“Through AI for Good, ITU helps turn AI breakthroughs into practical ways to improve lives. We are also pleased to work with our partners on the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance where Member States and stakeholders will exchange perspectives on the policies shaping AI’s future.”
The AI for Good Global Summit to be hosted by ITU – the United Nations agency for digital technologies – with over 50 UN partners and co-convened by Switzerland is seen as the Summit flagship platform for showcasing and helping scale up AI applications in areas from healthcare and education to food security, disaster risk reduction and misinformation, particularly in developing countries.
World-class keynotes, global technology premieres and an expo floor filled with innovators, UN partners and national pavilions will present local AI solutions and strategies from around the world, including special exhibits featuring home-grown innovations from Switzerland.
“We are delighted to once again co-convene with ITU the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, a central location for discussing and showcasing advances in artificial intelligence,” said Albert Rösti, Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication.
The summit will Unite leaders to scale AI impact. Over 11,000 participants from 169 countries attended 2025 AI for Good Global Summit and World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) events.
Participation included ministers from 100 countries, more than half representing developing countries.
The 2026 edition aims to further strengthen AI for Good as a globally representative platform for dialogue, collaboration, and action on AI and how to best harness the innovative power of technology.
While many tech companies grow artificial intelligence in their various corners of the world,the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ,the global technology regulator,is rearing to unify the technology in such ways as to create standards for open platforms.
In a few months,tech gurus will converge on Geneva,the ITU headquarters in Switzerland to strategize on the way forward for Artificial Intelligence for Good.“The goal of AI for Good is to identify practical applications of AI to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and connect AI innovators with public and private-sector decision-makers to help scale up AI solutions globally.”according to the ITU.
In 2017 ,the landmark AI for Good Global Summit marked the beginning of a global dialogue on the potential of AI to act as a force for good. The action-oriented 2018 and 2019 summits gave rise to numerous AI for Good projects including several standardisation initiatives of the ITU.
