Session
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 1: Burcu Kilic, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Pranesh Prakash, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Sanya Smith, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Pranesh Prakash, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Sanya Smith, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A 60-minute roundtable is the ideal format for "AI Innovation for Public Good: A New Policy Playbook" because it fosters dynamic, focused dialogue among diverse stakeholders—policymakers, technologists, and civil society—on complex AI policy challenges. Unlike lectures, it encourages active participation, enabling attendees to debate actionable strategies, like reducing Big Tech dependency and aligning R&D with local needs, in real-time. The concise timeframe ensures sharp, outcome-driven discussions, aligning with the session’s goal of co-creating a policy framework. It balances expert insights with interactive input, maximizing engagement and idea exchange, while leaving room for a summary report and follow-up processes, all within IGF 2025’s fast-paced schedule.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A 60-minute roundtable is the ideal format for "AI Innovation for Public Good: A New Policy Playbook" because it fosters dynamic, focused dialogue among diverse stakeholders—policymakers, technologists, and civil society—on complex AI policy challenges. Unlike lectures, it encourages active participation, enabling attendees to debate actionable strategies, like reducing Big Tech dependency and aligning R&D with local needs, in real-time. The concise timeframe ensures sharp, outcome-driven discussions, aligning with the session’s goal of co-creating a policy framework. It balances expert insights with interactive input, maximizing engagement and idea exchange, while leaving room for a summary report and follow-up processes, all within IGF 2025’s fast-paced schedule.
Policy Question(s)
How can industrial policies use national innovation systems to lessen reliance on Big Tech and boost local AI ecosystems?
What strategies can align trade, competition, and R&D to ensure AI benefits society, not just a few firms?
How should public institutions evolve for a whole-of-government AI approach that ensures sovereignty and local needs?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants in "AI Innovation for Public Good: A New Policy Playbook" will gain actionable insights into reshaping AI development through national innovation systems. They’ll learn how strategic industrial policies can reduce Big Tech dependency, foster local AI ecosystems, and enhance technological sovereignty, drawing from a 2025 open-source AI breakthrough. Attendees will acquire new knowledge on aligning R&D investments, competition, and trade policies to address market concentration and support small innovators. Diverse perspectives from global policymakers, technologists, and civil society will broaden their understanding of AI’s societal impact across regions. Through interactive breakout groups, they’ll gain practical tools to design context-specific policies, ensuring AI serves local needs and public good. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of a multi-model, multinational AI future and a playbook to drive equitable innovation, empowering them to influence governance and development strategies at IGF 2025 Norway and beyond.
SDGs
Description:
This workshop, inspired by a January 2025 breakthrough in open-source AI, explores how national innovation systems (NIS) can guide industrial policy to foster AI innovation for the public good. Under the subtheme "Innovation for Development," it focuses on reducing reliance on dominant tech companies and building local AI ecosystems. This breakthrough model—matching top-tier performance with cost-effective, less-advanced technology—challenges the narrative of bigger models and massive investments, proving innovation can thrive on an uneven playing field. This moment aligns with the global revival of industrial policy as governments prioritize digital public infrastructure. The session tackles AI’s market concentration, where compute power, data, and cloud services create bottlenecks for small players. Through an interactive workshop, we’ll examine strategic solutions: prioritizing local innovation over passive adoption, investing in R&D like public datasets and open models, and linking university research to industry for domestic progress. It will showcase best practices, such as how targeted policies can curb monopolistic behaviors and align trade, competition, and industrial strategies for a fair AI ecosystem. A whole-of-government approach to governance will be highlighted as key to coordination and effectiveness. Participants—policymakers, technologists, and civil society—will engage in breakout groups to co-design policies addressing local needs, ensuring AI aligns with economic and societal goals. The workshop emphasizes concrete impacts: fostering competition, enhancing technological sovereignty, and shaping a multi-model, multinational AI future. Diverse perspectives from various regions and sectors will enrich the discussion, avoiding individual speaker focus. By blending examples of recent AI advancements with collaborative exercises, this session offers a practical playbook to democratize AI innovation, ensuring it serves global society, not just a few tech giants, at IGF 2025 Norway.
This workshop, inspired by a January 2025 breakthrough in open-source AI, explores how national innovation systems (NIS) can guide industrial policy to foster AI innovation for the public good. Under the subtheme "Innovation for Development," it focuses on reducing reliance on dominant tech companies and building local AI ecosystems. This breakthrough model—matching top-tier performance with cost-effective, less-advanced technology—challenges the narrative of bigger models and massive investments, proving innovation can thrive on an uneven playing field. This moment aligns with the global revival of industrial policy as governments prioritize digital public infrastructure. The session tackles AI’s market concentration, where compute power, data, and cloud services create bottlenecks for small players. Through an interactive workshop, we’ll examine strategic solutions: prioritizing local innovation over passive adoption, investing in R&D like public datasets and open models, and linking university research to industry for domestic progress. It will showcase best practices, such as how targeted policies can curb monopolistic behaviors and align trade, competition, and industrial strategies for a fair AI ecosystem. A whole-of-government approach to governance will be highlighted as key to coordination and effectiveness. Participants—policymakers, technologists, and civil society—will engage in breakout groups to co-design policies addressing local needs, ensuring AI aligns with economic and societal goals. The workshop emphasizes concrete impacts: fostering competition, enhancing technological sovereignty, and shaping a multi-model, multinational AI future. Diverse perspectives from various regions and sectors will enrich the discussion, avoiding individual speaker focus. By blending examples of recent AI advancements with collaborative exercises, this session offers a practical playbook to democratize AI innovation, ensuring it serves global society, not just a few tech giants, at IGF 2025 Norway.
Expected Outcomes
The session "AI Innovation for Public Good: A New Policy Playbook" aims to produce a set of actionable policy recommendations for governments to foster equitable AI ecosystems, drawing from the 2025 open-source AI breakthrough. Expected outcomes include enhanced participant understanding of national innovation systems and strategies to reduce Big Tech reliance while boosting local innovation. Through interactive discussions, attendees will co-create a framework for aligning industrial, trade, and competition policies, tailored to diverse regional contexts. Specific outputs include a concise summary report capturing key insights and recommendations, to be shared with IGF 2025 stakeholders. The session will also feed into follow-up processes, such as potential working groups or events focused on AI governance and technological sovereignty, encouraging ongoing collaboration among policymakers, technologists, and civil society to shape a multi-model, multinational AI future that prioritizes the public good.
Hybrid Format: For "AI Innovation for Public Good: A New Policy Playbook," our 60-minute roundtable will connect onsite and online participants using IGF’s hybrid tools. A dedicated online moderator will integrate virtual attendees’ input via a live chat feed (e.g., Rocket.Chat), projected onsite. Speakers will alternate across formats, with real-time polls via Framadate engaging both groups on policy questions like reducing Big Tech reliance. Breakout discussions will pair onsite tables with virtual rooms on Jitsi Meet, enabling collaborative policy co-creation, with outcomes shared via Etherpad. To boost participation, BigBlueButton’s whiteboard will visualize live feedback, ensuring inclusivity. Pre-session outreach via Mastodon will invite global input, enhancing diversity. This design leverages free, open-source tools—Rocket.Chat, Framadate, Jitsi Meet, Etherpad, and BigBlueButton—balancing engagement and accessibility, ensuring a rich, interactive experience for all at IGF 2025’s hybrid event.