At the recently concluded Artificial Intelligence (AI) Paris Summit, Nigeria, France, and 56 other countries, alongside the European Union (EU) and the African Union Commission (AUC), launched a global platform aimed at promoting AI accessibility and reducing the digital divide. The initiative seeks to ensure that AI remains open, inclusive, and transparent, aligning with sustainable development goals.
According to a statement from the French Government, the Paris Declaration on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet was signed at the summit, outlining commitments to responsible AI development and deployment.
Public Interest AI Platform and Incubator
Nigeria was named one of the eight founding members of the newly launched Public Interest AI Platform and Incubator, designed to:
- Support and unify public and private AI initiatives.
- Address digital disparities through access to AI-powered solutions.
- Enhance transparency and openness in AI model development.
- Provide technical assistance, capacity building, and financing for AI-driven innovation.
This initiative aims to foster an AI ecosystem that serves the public interest while supporting global cooperation on AI governance, ethics, and capacity building.
AI for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
The signatories committed to advancing AI technologies that drive economic growth, enhance workforce productivity, and promote environmental sustainability. They emphasized the need for AI to:
- Support industrial innovation and equitable development while preventing market monopolization.
- Address challenges related to security, human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity, and consumer protection.
- Establish a network of observatories to assess AI’s impact on jobs, education, and workplace transformation.
The statement reaffirmed a commitment to international cooperation on AI governance, referencing ongoing discussions in global regulatory forums and upcoming AI-focused events, including:
- Kigali Summit
- 3rd Global Forum on the Ethics of AI (Thailand & UNESCO)
- 2025 World AI Conference
- AI for Good Global Summit 2025
The summit concluded with a shared vision of leveraging AI as a force for global progress, ensuring its benefits are equitably distributed across nations and sectors.
