ITU Puts the New Global AI Commission on Geneva’s Policy Agenda

The agenda for AI for Good, an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, listed a July 8, 2026 session in Geneva titled Scaling AI for Good. Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff was the speaker, with The Atlantic’s Nicholas Thompson moderating. The same speaker page also listed a session later that day titled Introducing the new Global Commission, linking the commission’s launch to the United Nations’ annual AI platform.

The official page placed the session on the main stage at Palexpo during the AI for Good Global Summit 2026. The platform is organised by ITU in partnership with United Nations agencies and co-hosted by Switzerland. On the same day, the summit agenda included a workshop titled Are you AI ready? focused on AI readiness, while the site’s programme structure included tracks for standards, policy and skills.

The lens: Global South solidarity Placing a global commission within a United Nations framework gives Middle Eastern and North African countries room to press for rules that are not written solely from the perspective of companies or major economies. The practical value will lie in turning discussion of inclusion into measurable standards for data readiness, language, infrastructure and the protection of public services. The risk is that the platform becomes a high-level dialogue without implementation tools. The region should therefore watch who participates and whether the outcomes give developing countries genuine negotiating power.

Source: https://aiforgood.itu.int/event/scaling-ai-for-good/