https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/ International institutions are writing the rules for artificial intelligence. Global South AI Policy summarises what the United Nations, the World Bank, the African Union, the ITU and others decide, and asks what it means for developing countries. en Wed, 11 Nov 2026 07:32:03 +0000 https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/brand/icon-512.pnghttps://globalsouthaipolicy.org/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/itu-and-un-habitat-launch-ai-governance-toolbox-for-municipalities/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/itu-and-un-habitat-launch-ai-governance-toolbox-for-municipalities/ Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 International organisations Brief No. 024. The ITU and UN-Habitat have released a system-wide governance toolkit to help municipal leaders regulate civic artificial intelligence and protect public services. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-releases-petal-tales-animated-series-to-promote-global-south-ai-inclusion/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-releases-petal-tales-animated-series-to-promote-global-south-ai-inclusion/ Mon, 09 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 AIFOD events Brief No. 023. AIFOD has launched Petal Tales, a wordless animated series featuring its three mascots, aimed at explaining artificial intelligence across developing regions. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/unidir-report-warns-agentic-ai-threatens-global-crisis-de-escalation/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/unidir-report-warns-agentic-ai-threatens-global-crisis-de-escalation/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Documents Brief No. 022. A UNIDIR study warns that agentic AI could compress decision times and reduce opportunities for de-escalation, urging states to adapt existing governance frameworks. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-review-panel-dismisses-ai-rights-amid-unresolved-human-protections/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-review-panel-dismisses-ai-rights-amid-unresolved-human-protections/ Sat, 07 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 AIFOD events Brief No. 021. An AIFOD expert panel rejected granting legal rights to artificial intelligence, arguing that safeguarding human welfare and corporate accountability must remain paramount. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/unesco-itu-and-brazil-unveil-green-ai-institute-for-global-south/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/unesco-itu-and-brazil-unveil-green-ai-institute-for-global-south/ Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 International organisations Brief No. 020. UNESCO, the ITU and Brazil have set a 16 November launch at COP31 for an AI climate institute aimed at helping developing nations deploy resource-efficient climate models. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/google-commits-15-billion-to-expand-ai-data-centres-and-clean-utilities-in/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/google-commits-15-billion-to-expand-ai-data-centres-and-clean-utilities-in/ Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Data and infrastructure Brief No. 019. Google has announced a $15 billion plan to build new data centres in Malaysia, committing to finance grid power and water infrastructure. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/experts-split-on-impact-of-frontier-ai-slowdown-for-developing-world/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/experts-split-on-impact-of-frontier-ai-slowdown-for-developing-world/ Wed, 04 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Analysis Brief No. 018. Specialists debating at an event hosted by AIFOD, which publishes this site, questioned whether decelerating frontier AI would aid or harm the Global South. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/malaysia-finalises-ai-governance-bill-ahead-of-planned-2027-parliamentary/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/malaysia-finalises-ai-governance-bill-ahead-of-planned-2027-parliamentary/ Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 National policy Brief No. 017. Malaysia has completed drafting its Artificial Intelligence Governance Bill, establishing risk-management duties and incident reporting ahead of planned tabling in Parliament in early 2027. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/unctad-urges-ai-investment-beyond-data-centres-as-developing-economies-lag/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/unctad-urges-ai-investment-beyond-data-centres-as-developing-economies-lag/ Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Analysis Brief No. 016. UN Trade and Development urged investment in skills and wider infrastructure at the World Investment Forum, where the ITU noted Africa and Latin America hold only 3.3% of global data centre capacity. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/geneva-summit-session-outlines-capability-based-ai-standards-and-exit-rules/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/geneva-summit-session-outlines-capability-based-ai-standards-and-exit-rules/ Sun, 01 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Data and infrastructure Brief No. 015. A framework discussed at an AIFOD session proposes assessing underlying digital capabilities and contractual exit rights before public bodies procure AI. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/seychelles-approves-five-year-ai-strategy-and-sovereign-cloud-project/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/seychelles-approves-five-year-ai-strategy-and-sovereign-cloud-project/ Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 National policy Brief No. 014. The Cabinet of Seychelles has approved the National Digital & AI Strategy 2026–2031 alongside plans for an in-country sovereign cloud supported by two datacentres. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-energy-review-board-calls-for-right-sized-models-and-decentralised-compute/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-energy-review-board-calls-for-right-sized-models-and-decentralised-compute/ Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Data and infrastructure Brief No. 013. An AIFOD summit board in Geneva examined policies and pricing models needed to curb artificial intelligence's energy consumption while decentralising compute. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/who-europe-adopts-first-regional-ai-health-roadmap-spanning-53-countries/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/who-europe-adopts-first-regional-ai-health-roadmap-spanning-53-countries/ Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 International organisations Brief No. 012. The WHO European Region has adopted an eight-year AI health roadmap to establish unified governance across 53 member states in Europe and Central Asia. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-geneva-summit-examines-human-accountability-boundaries-for-ai-agents/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-geneva-summit-examines-human-accountability-boundaries-for-ai-agents/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 AIFOD events Brief No. 011. An AIFOD summit session examined how organisations must establish human accountability and observability before deploying autonomous AI agents. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/south-africa-delays-revised-ai-policy-to-march-2027-to-focus-on-sectoral/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/south-africa-delays-revised-ai-policy-to-march-2027-to-focus-on-sectoral/ Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 National policy Brief No. 010. South Africa will table its revised national AI policy in March 2027, opting to empower existing sector regulators rather than establishing new institutions. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/world-bank-releases-first-digital-and-ai-strategy-targeting-emerging-markets/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/world-bank-releases-first-digital-and-ai-strategy-targeting-emerging-markets/ Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Documents Brief No. 009. The World Bank Group has published its first Digital and AI Strategy, pledging to connect one billion people in developing economies to digital and AI tools by 2030. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-geneva-summit-state-power-in-ai-depends-on-internal-capability-not-tech/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-geneva-summit-state-power-in-ai-depends-on-internal-capability-not-tech/ Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 National policy Brief No. 008. Panelists at an AIFOD Geneva Summit dialogue argued that government power over AI relies on institutional competence, energy infrastructure and skills rather than asset ownership. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/sri-lanka-deploys-unesco-ram-2-0-framework-for-national-ai-assessment/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/sri-lanka-deploys-unesco-ram-2-0-framework-for-national-ai-assessment/ Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 National policy Brief No. 007. Sri Lanka has partnered with UNESCO to launch the updated RAM 2.0 tool, evaluating national regulatory, educational, and technical readiness for artificial intelligence. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/honduras-mission-in-geneva-begins-ai-governance-dialogue-with-aifod/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/honduras-mission-in-geneva-begins-ai-governance-dialogue-with-aifod/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 AIFOD events Brief No. 006. The Permanent Mission of Honduras in Geneva held an introductory meeting with AIFOD on AI governance and digital inclusion in June, ahead of the AIFOD Geneva Summit 2026 in August. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/odata-launches-630m-liquid-cooling-rollout-across-brazil-and-mexico-for-ai/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/odata-launches-630m-liquid-cooling-rollout-across-brazil-and-mexico-for-ai/ Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Data and infrastructure Brief No. 005. ODATA has begun rolling out a $630 million liquid-cooling upgrade at data centres in Brazil and Mexico to manage the intense heat and power demands of AI workloads. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-geneva-summit-explores-fair-assessment-to-aid-smaller-ai-developers/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-geneva-summit-explores-fair-assessment-to-aid-smaller-ai-developers/ Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 AIFOD events Brief No. 004. AIFOD has launched discussions on its FAIR framework in Geneva, proposing an assessment model to help smaller AI innovators demonstrate trustworthiness and enter new markets. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/oecd-urges-sovereign-compute-strategies-to-counter-global-ai-disparities/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/oecd-urges-sovereign-compute-strategies-to-counter-global-ai-disparities/ Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Documents Brief No. 003. The OECD has released a policy brief urging governments to treat AI compute as critical infrastructure, and calling for knowledge sharing with developing and emerging economies. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-examines-non-monetary-cooperation-model-for-ai-infrastructure-and-support/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/aifod-examines-non-monetary-cooperation-model-for-ai-infrastructure-and-support/ Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Data and infrastructure Brief No. 002. At the Geneva Summit 2026, AIFOD explored non-monetary assistance models to assemble computing resources, technical expertise, and governance packages for public sectors. https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/mozambique-sets-out-ai-role-in-ten-year-public-finance-strategy/ https://globalsouthaipolicy.org/stories/mozambique-sets-out-ai-role-in-ten-year-public-finance-strategy/ Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 National policy Brief No. 001. Mozambique has adopted a ten-year public finance management strategy that integrates artificial intelligence and automated analytics into treasury and debt operations by 2035.