Page 122 - AI Standards for Global Impact: From Governance to Action

AI Standards for Global Impact: From Governance to Action

The Global Initiative aims to shape a future where AI-powered virtual worlds are inclusive, trusted,
and interoperable. By connecting people, cities, and technologies, it empowers meaningful
progress through AI-powered virtual worlds. Urban innovation is key in shaping new digital
public infrastructure. Tools like the Citiverse Use Case Taxonomy, developed by the Global
Initiative, offer practical guidance for aligning AI-powered virtual world deployments with urban
priorities with the aim of ensuring inclusive, trusted, and interoperable digital ecosystems.

AI-powered virtual worlds, including the metaverse and the citiverse, require common standards
to be interoperable, secure, inclusive, and trustworthy. As AI increasingly drives how people,
cities, and communities interact in digital environments, international standards can help
enable seamless connectivity between platforms, safeguard users, and support human-centred,
sustainable development in both physical and digital spaces.

19�2 Policy frameworks for virtual worlds

Robust policy frameworks can help ensure that virtual worlds – often powered by AI and
integrating digital twins, IoT, and immersive technologies – are safe, inclusive, ethical, and aligned
with UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Digital Compact. Appropriate policy
frameworks can help governments and communities harness virtual worlds responsibly while
protecting users and fostering innovation. Virtual worlds have evolved far beyond entertainment
and can become powerful drivers of cultural and economic value on a global scale. For example,
the Dominican Republic has launched the "Gobverse," an immersive government platform
that uses virtual worlds and digital twins to modernize public services and leapfrog traditional
infrastructure challenges. Similarly, the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, launched under
the Italian G7 Presidency, represents a bold step toward bridging compute gaps with and for
Africa.

To unlock real-world impact, policy priorities could include:

a) Fostering collaboration among governments, technology providers, academia, and civil
society to shape inclusive and future-ready cities and communities.
b) Driving economic growth through AI-enabled innovation ecosystems that create new jobs,
smarter products, and sustainable business models.
c) Scaling global AI governance through adaptable, locally grounded frameworks
that empower the Global South to harness these technologies to address pressing
development challenges.

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