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When? 14-17 September 2026
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Where? The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Riyadh
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Who? Members of governments, civil society, the scientific and academic communities, international organizations and the private sector.
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See the full programme here
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Journalists, please register for accreditation here
Panel discussions and workshops at the forum will tackle issues arising from the agentic AI revolution, including its impacts on the environment, gender equality, culture and young people’s mental health. It will also explore the breakthroughs AI is driving in emerging technologies like neurotechnology and synthetic biology, weighing up the risks and opportunities.
UNESCO’s Global Leadership on AI Ethics
To date, UNESCO has partnered with 77 countries, providing technical expertise to help them build national AI strategies and policies, using its Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the first global standard in this field, as a framework. 58 countries have completed UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) – a diagnostic process helping them assess their legal, social, economic, educational and technical preparedness to develop, deploy and govern artificial intelligence, as well as the specific needs of all stakeholders in their societies. More than 20,000 stakeholders, including indigenous and disability rights leaders from around the world, contributed to the development of the RAM.
The RAM was a key tool in the development of AI strategies in countries like Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, and has also informed regional initiatives such as the African Union Continental AI Strategy and the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap (2025-2030). International declarations such as the BRICS Leaders’ Statement on the Global Governance of AI, the Declaration of Santiago (2023), the Declaration of Montevideo (2024), the Windhoek Statement on Artificial Intelligence in Southern Africa (2022), and the Nairobi Statement on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Eastern Africa (2024).
On September 16th, UNESCO will launch three products to enhance its support to Member States in building ethical and inclusive AI policies and laws:
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An improved, updated version of its readiness methodology: “RAM 2.0”; incorporating more insights from women, people with disabilities, and indigenous peoples.
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An analysis of the RAM’s findings, revealing global trends in AI governance.
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An AI environment toolkit aimed at guiding policymakers in reducing the AI systems’ environmental footprint and advancing the use of AI to advance climate action, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem resilience.
To find out more about UNESCO’s work on AI in education, culture, science and with youth, please see our recent brochure, Shaping AI for the People
The 2026 Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence is jointly hosted by UNESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE).
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