AIFOD Panel Urges Developing Nations to Shape Global AI Governance

Developing nations must actively design their own artificial intelligence governance rather than adopt rules formulated elsewhere, speakers argued at a panel organised on 19 June 2026 by the AI for Developing Countries Forum (AIFOD), which publishes this site. The discussion addressed imbalances in international regulatory development, pointing out that Africa and Latin America together account for under seven per cent of nearly 500 AI policy documents released worldwide.

Practical approaches to regulation

Contributors from Asia, Europe, and the Global South reviewed strategies for building regulatory autonomy without overburdening small economies. Hesti Aryani of JANZZ Ltd. recommended contextual governance, citing Indonesia's approach of embedding artificial intelligence rules into existing institutions as a workable path for governments with limited resources to protect domestic labour markets. Ivana Brutenic stressed the necessity of consulting commercial actors, noting that regulations formulated without commercial insight create severe compliance hurdles for emerging markets.

Enforcement and public benefit

Technical and social considerations also featured prominently during the session. Panellist Hyunwoo Kim warned that progressive regulations become ineffective without local technical infrastructure to inspect, test, and apply standards across domestic systems. Focusing on social outcomes, speaker Dusyant maintained that effective policies must ultimately be judged by their concrete benefits for citizens rather than procedural complexity.

The session underscored a growing consensus within AIFOD's 7,200-member network that developing economies have a closing window of opportunity to influence international policy architectures through collaborative engagement.