Reflect on the International AI Summit 2025.

On 11 December, the International AI Summit returned to Brussels, bringing together Europe’s AI policy community at one of the sector’s premier gatherings.

Organised by Forum Global, co-curated with the Forum for Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence (FCAI), and co-located with the EIT Community: Artificial Intelligence, this year’s edition built on the strong momentum of previous years.

Once again, the Summit convened global leaders from government, industry, academia, and civil society to exchange perspectives, tackle real-world challenges, and explore how AI is transforming economies, societies, and international partnerships worldwide.

Niamh Smyth TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation on stage.

The agenda opened with keynote addresses from Niamh Smyth TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation; and Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies.

Together, they set the tone for the day with a wide-ranging reflection on the global trajectory of artificial intelligence. Truly, a field evolving at extraordinary speed and demanding nuanced, collaborative governance.

AI is reshaping how we live, work and interact. The opportunity is immense, but so is our responsibility to get this right. Harnessing the benefits of AI is essential for Europe to future-proof our industries and remain globally competitive. At the same time, this rapidly evolving technology can also present substantial challenges for our society in relation to safety, privacy, and fundamental rights. 
Niamh Smyth TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation.

Opening remarks delivered by Cameron F. Kerry, Joshua Meltzer, Andrew Wyckoff and Andrea Renda of Event Knowledge Partners the Forum for Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence (FCAI).

Kicking off the day’s discussions, Session 1 examined how European stakeholders are navigating the continent’s shifting relationship with artificial intelligence. Once seen primarily as the global “regulator-in-chief,” Europe is now signalling a broader strategic pivot and embracing the potential of AI. Across the bloc, momentum is building toward policies that not only uphold core values but also actively foster innovation and competitiveness.

To unpack this transition, the session featured insights from Gosia Nikowska of the European Commission; Michael McNamara, MEP and Co-Chair of the European Parliament’s AI Working Group; Nikolaj Munch Andersen of Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Laetitia Cailleteau from Accenture; and Tjade Stroband of Microsoft. The conversation was moderated by Luca Bertuzzi of MLex.

Session 1, ‘From Regulation to Innovation – Navigating Europe’s Evolving Relationship with AI’ at the International AI Summit 2025. 

Session 2 examined the rapidly intensifying global race to develop the digital and physical infrastructure underpinning artificial intelligence. From sovereign AI clouds and hyperscale data centres, to supercomputing AI gigafactories and advanced connectivity networks, governments and industry leaders are investing heavily in next-generation infrastructure to unlock AI’s full potential. However, as the panel made clear, this rapid growth is not without its challenges. Chief among them are soaring energy demands, connectivity limitations, and the critical imperative to embed sustainability and resilience at the heart of future infrastructure strategies.

Here, moderator Joshua Meltzer of Brookings was joined by Manuel Mateo Goyet, European Commission; Dr. Alexandra-Gwyn Paetz, Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, Germany; Pamela Krzypkowska, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Poland; Daniel Všetečka, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic; Swadeep Singh, IndiaAI Mission; and Iveta Lohovska, HPE.

In focus, Tjade Stroband of Microsoft, discusses the EU’s AI foundations in Session 1, ‘From Regulation to Innovation – Navigating Europe’s Evolving Relationship with AI’.

Bringing together key stakeholders from government and industry, Session 3 examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping operations, decision-making, and long-term strategy across the public and private sectors. The conversation centred on the question: What could be achieved if we truly seize the AI moment?

Panellists shared concrete examples of how AI is being integrated into real-world workflows, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities of AI deployment at scale. From bridging talent and capability gaps to managing ethical, regulatory, and compliance considerations, the session explored what it takes to future-proof organisations in an increasingly AI-driven economy. The discussion also reflected on the cultural and structural shifts required to embed AI meaningfully within institutions.

The panel featured Enio Kaso of Albania’s National Agency for Information Society; Kip Wainscott of JPMorgan Chase; Matthew Jensen of Indeed; and Līga Raita Rozentāle of CrowdStrike and was moderated by CEPS’ Director of Research, Andrea Renda.

Andrea Renda and Crowdstrike’s Līga Raita Rozentāle in focus during Session 3, ‘Charting an AI-Ready Future – How do we Seize the Promise of AI?’

Following the lunch break, Dean Lan Xue of Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, and the Brookings Institution’s Cameron F. Kerry took to the stage for a timely fireside chat exploring China’s role in the global AI value chain. The conversation examined China’s accelerating investment in AI infrastructure, its expanding innovation capacity, and the geopolitical implications of developments such as the DeepSeek ‘Sputnik moment’. Together, they reflected on how China’s positioning in the global AI landscape is shaping policy, competition, and collaboration worldwide.

In Session 4, attention turned to the challenge of ensuring equitable access to the benefits of AI. Moderated once again by Cameron F. Kerry, the session featured a dynamic panel: Jason Slater, Chief Technical Advisor at UNIDO; Michel Kerf, Country Director for Central Europe and the Baltic States at the World Bank; Alison Gillwald, Executive Director of Research ICT Africa; and Khushal Wadhawan, IndiaAI Mission, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India.

Together, the panellists addressed the critical need to close digital divides and ensure that the AI revolution reaches all corners of the globe. They explored strategies for capacity-building, investment, and policy coordination, emphasising the role of multilateral cooperation, regional empowerment, and smart regulation in enabling underserved countries and communities to participate meaningfully in the AI era. The session underscored the importance of designing an inclusive global AI transition - one that embeds trust, fairness, and opportunity at its core.

Session 4, ‘AI for All: Bridging the Global Divide Through Cooperation and Capacity’, with Jason Slater, UNIDO, in focus.

The programme continued with a virtual address by Mark Schaan, Associate Deputy Minister at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Speaking in the context of Canada’s G7 Presidency (1 January – 31 December 2025), Schaan outlined the G7’s strategic priorities and recent progress in artificial intelligence governance. His remarks underscored the group’s ongoing commitment to advancing safe, inclusive, and innovation-friendly AI through coordinated international engagement and shared principles.

Session 5, titled “Advancing Global AI Standards”, turned to one of the most pressing and complex questions in AI governance today: the need for clear, reliable, and globally harmonised technical standards.

Here, Cameron F. Kerry of the Brookings Institution was joined by Nooshin Amirifar, CEN CENELEC and Jean-Philippe Faure, IEEE. Together, the panellists explored the critical role that AI standards play in ensuring safety, transparency, interoperability, and trust in AI systems. Overall, the consensus emerged that as nations and companies accelerate AI deployment, the absence of widely accepted standards risks creating fragmentation, undermining global coordination, and slowing innovation.

Session 6, Global AI Governance and Geopolitics – Cooperation, Competition, and the Future of the International Order.

Culminating the day’s discussions, Session 6 turned its focus to the geopolitical dimensions of AI governance, offering a timely reflection on the growing tension between cooperation and competition in the international order. As AI technologies become increasingly integral to global power structures, the stakes for meaningful alignment on rules, principles, and oversight mechanisms have never been higher.

With answers to the above: Juha Heikkilä, European Commission; Karine Perset, OECD; Emmanuelle Ganne, WTO; Akifumi Irie, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan; Cristina Shimoda, Ministry of State of Science, Technology and Innovations, Brazil; and Aaron Kleiner, Atlassian were joined by moderator Andrew Wyckoff at Brookings.

Together, the panellists shared reflections on the status of international cooperation and highlighted opportunities for deeper engagement across borders. From global standards and interoperability to data sovereignty and governance of general-purpose models, the conversation underscored the importance of multilateralism, inclusive policy-making, and coordinated global action.

Atlassian’s Aaron Kleiner on stage at the International AI Summit 2025.

Forum Global extends its sincere thanks to all partners, sponsors, speakers, and attendees for making this year’s edition a success. Your insights, energy, and collaboration are what continue to push this agenda forward.

We now look ahead to the next edition of both the International AI Summit and our USA AI Summit. For opportunities at the next edition: anne-lise.simon@forum-global.com

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