Presenter at Shanghai conference urges a global AI fund and rules, and asks firms to disclose AI environmental footprints by 2030

A presenter at an international AI conference in Shanghai urged governments and companies to accelerate cooperation on artificial intelligence governance and announced plans to recommend a global fund to build AI capacity in developing countries.

The speaker framed AI as both promise and peril: “artificial intelligence can be humanity's greatest opportunity… It could also become one of its greatest risks,” and called for governance shaped by all countries rather than a handful of governments or companies.

The presentation centered on three priorities. First, capacity: the presenter said developing countries bring “enormous assets” — talent, ideas and young populations — and deserve support so they can shape AI with their own skills, data and languages. The speaker noted that a United Nations General Assembly resolution on AI capacity building was adopted by consensus and said over 20 countries, including China, have joined a UN-supported network for AI capacity building; the speaker added that recommendations for a global fund would be put forward to support this work.

Second, safety: the presenter argued that systems crossing borders require shared standards for testing, risk assessment and responsibility. The speaker said governance should be inclusive, networked and anchored in international law, and stressed that ‘‘humans must keep control over every life and death decision.’’

Third, sustainability: the presenter urged that AI’s growing energy and resource demands be made public, calling on every major AI company to disclose the full environmental footprint of their systems and to power them with renewables by 2030. The speaker cited existing national measures — referencing China’s requirements for data centers to increase renewable power use — as examples for others to follow.

The presenter warned that without action AI could worsen global inequality, noting that roughly one-third of humanity remains offline and that computing power, data and technical expertise remain concentrated in a few places. The remarks emphasized partnership and solidarity, concluding that the defining question is whether AI will reduce inequalities or reinforce them.

The speaker said recommendations for a global fund for AI capacity building will be submitted soon and asked for attendees’ support; no details about fund size or a formal timeline were provided in the address.