Artificial intelligence requires global rules
Why is AI governance important for sustainable development? How is GIZ assisting its partner countries’ efforts to shape the digital future – and can Germany learn anything from this? Kim Willett and Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Fall tell us more.
Kim Willett is an advisor to GIZ partner countries on AI governance and digital policy strategies.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how we work, communicate and make decisions at breathtaking speed. As a result, it also raises the question of who sets the rules. This is where AI governance, which focuses on how we regulate and manage the use of artificial intelligence, comes in.
AI applications know no national borders. A language model, a tool for judging creditworthiness or an automated administration system can be used in Nairobi just as in Berlin or São Paulo. The consequences depend on the data, languages and values considered during their development. Frameworks should therefore not be defined by just a handful of states and companies.
A lack of clear and fair rules can lead to discrimination against people, misuse of personal data and exploitation of workers. Good AI governance sets out clear guidelines. It ensures transparency, protects basic rights and allows countries to really harness the opportunities of AI – for example, in education, health care and public services.
For this to succeed, it is important to accommodate as many different perspectives as possible. The rules should reflect not only the positions of the leading technological and economic powers, but also the experiences and needs of the Global South.
Global dialogue on AI
An important milestone on this path was the first meeting of the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July 2026 – an international forum in which UN Member States meet with the academic community, the private sector and civil society to discuss global rules for artificial intelligence. This ensures that AI governance is a global undertaking.
At the same time, the dialogue highlights just how great the challenge still is. Up to now, few countries in the Global South have had a seat at the table in international negotiations on AI, even though AI systems directly impact their economies, labour markets and societies, often to a particularly significant extent.
According to the AI Advisory Body of the United Nations, some 118 countries have been insufficiently represented up to now in important international processes related to AI governance. Ultimately, those absent from the negotiations must accept the rules set by others.
Senegal boosts its involvement
GIZ cooperates with its partner countries to ensure that they have a strong voice. For example, it worked with civil society, the academic community and the private sector to support Senegal’s Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Affairs in preparing the country’s position for the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva.
An international event is thus a genuine opportunity to contribute.
Amplifying the voices of those affected
It is not only governments that need to be involved in discussions on AI regulations. It is also important to consider the perspectives of those who are directly affected, such as content moderators in Kenya. Their work involves monitoring global social media content and helping to ensure, as far as possible, that users are not exposed to violent images.
In Kenya, GIZ works with local organisation Ushahidi to bring these voices and perspectives to the fore. The results are prepared for use by the government. In this way, AI rules can be aligned more closely with the problems and needs of the relevant people affected.
Latin America: the first education sandbox
GIZ is also taking concrete steps to advance AI governance in Latin America. In Brazil, it supported the development of the first ‘AI sandbox’ for the education sector. The sandbox is a protected space in which new AI applications can be tried out under realistic conditions. This makes it possible to identify opportunities and risks at an early stage, before a system is rolled out in multiple schools and other educational institutions.
National AI strategies
At present, rules on responsible AI use are largely being drawn up at the national and regional levels. Through the FAIR Forward – Artificial Intelligence for All initiative, GIZ has supported Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda in developing national AI strategies, and they are leading the way in Africa as a result.
New AI laws, modelled for example on the EU AI Act, are not the right approach in every country. GIZ therefore supports its partner countries in systematically reviewing their existing legislation: what rules already apply to AI? Are there any gaps?
Germany can learn from other countries
So far, no country has found the perfect solution for regulating AI. So it is particularly useful to share experiences and work together. For example, GIZ supports the German-Indian AI Pact on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation (BMDS).
Artificial intelligence, like so many issues, is an area where international cooperation benefits both sides. If Germany works with partner countries to develop responsible AI solutions, this will also strengthen its own capacity for innovation and competitiveness. Moreover, such cooperation gives German companies and research institutions access to new markets and international innovation networks that offer an environment in which responsible AI standards are already more firmly established thanks to collaborative efforts.
