AIGPC Annual Conference – Bridging Global AI Principles with Real-World Practice for Sustainable Innovation

Bangkok, 29 June 2026 – The AI Governance Week 2026 (AIGW 2026) officially opened its doors with the AIGPC Annual Conference, bringing together global thought leaders from international bodies, governments, and the private sector. The central theme of the day was clear: the world no longer lacks AI principles; the urgent need now is translating these frameworks into real-world impact that fosters innovation while securing public trust.

The full-day conference featured insights from world-renowned experts—including representatives from the OECD, UNESCO, the World Bank, Google, IBM, and AIGC Expert Fellows—highlighting four critical dimensions of the next phase of AI Governance.

The Next Phase of AI Governance: Building a Culture of Responsibility Prof. Dr. Urs Gasser, Chairperson of the International Policy Advisory Panel (IPAP) at AIGPC, delivered a powerful keynote stressing that there is no single universal formula for AI Governance. Instead, frameworks must be tailored to regional contexts. Moving from principles to practice requires more than tools like Red Teaming or Auditing; it demands an organizational culture where responsibility is embedded at every stage. Furthermore, as AI systems evolve post-deployment, building agile "Learning Institutions" that continuously adapt to new evidence is critical for long-term safety.

Bridging Global Frameworks to Local Action Experts from UNESCO, OECD, IRCAI, and IBM Thailand emphasized the concept of National Ownership. While countries refer to shared global frameworks, governance models must be adapted to local readiness and public sector structures. The key to international cooperation is Interoperability—aligning risk management approaches and comparable standards across borders. The panel also highlighted that effective Co-Governance requires evidence and data, operating under the principle: "You cannot manage what you do not measure."

Rethinking Governance: Fast Enough for Innovation, Safe Enough for Trust Representatives from the World Bank, the Embassy of Japan, and Google redefined AI Governance not as a "brake" on innovation, but as a foundation for trusted deployment. The session outlined three core layers for actionable Responsible AI:

• Governance by Design: Embedding safeguards from the initial design stage.

• Risk-Based Regulation: Applying rules proportionate to the system's risk, ensuring SMEs and businesses are not burdened by unnecessary barriers for low-risk applications.

• Practical Infrastructure: Providing accessible tools like reference architectures and pay-as-you-go cloud services with built-in guardrails to help organizations of all sizes integrate AI safely.

  
  

AI Governance as the "New G of ESG" and Sustainable Development AIGC Expert Fellows and multidisciplinary specialists underscored that AI Governance must now be elevated to a board-level agenda. AI risks are directly linked to enterprise risk management, reputation, and long-term competitiveness—making it the new "G" in ESG. The discussion also pointed to a critical shift from governing static "AI Models" to dynamic "AI Actions" (Agentic AI) that make decisions on behalf of humans. Furthermore, in the context of Digital Sovereignty, the focus is on managing critical data responsibly while remaining connected to global cooperation, ensuring that AI creates equitable, sustainable value for society.

The first day of AIGW 2026 set a definitive tone: AI Governance is not the final destination, but the essential mechanism that enables technology to grow steadily, safely, and in alignment with human values.