Article: Shaping the Future

From July 8 to 11, 2025, Geneva will host the AI for Good Global Summit, a major international event organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland. Taking place at Palexpo, the city’s largest exhibition and conference centre, the summit is recognized as the United Nations’ primary platform for collaboration on artificial intelligence (AI).

As AI technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, the 2025 summit will gather a wide range of stakeholders, ranging from governments, industry leaders, researchers, startups, and civil society, to explore how AI is shaping markets, public services, and cross-border innovation. This event is intended to encourage both strategic alignment and practical dialogue around AI deployment and investment worldwide.

A platform for global leadership in AI

The AI for Good Global Summit is designed to provide both high-level discussions and applied use cases, drawing on the ITU’s coordination with over 40 UN partner agencies and 194 Member States.

This year's edition is set to welcome more than 10,000 in-person attendees and engage a larger virtual community through the AI for Good Neural Network, a global online platform which has grown to over 35,000+ participants. The event is expected to feature more than 200 exhibitors and 1’000 speakers and a broad agenda of keynotes, technical workshops, startup demos, and interactive challenges.

Participants will include senior policymakers, technology executives, R&D leaders, and institutional investors. Together, they represent a cross-section of those shaping AI at scale—across national strategies, private enterprise, and international governance dialogues.

As AI technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, the Global Summit on 8-9 July brings together global leaders to explore AI's potential in addressing global challenges, including a full day devoted to AI Governance Dialogue on 10 July that will facilitate exchanges between key stakeholders on effective approaches to AI governance. Then, the AI Standards Exchange on 11 July, organized in partnership with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), will focus on the future trajectory of AI and how to develop technical standards to create more opportunities for innovation worldwide.

Focus on innovation, investment, and application

A central theme of this year’s summit is the continued growth of AI investment and commercialization. Now that AI has made a mainstay in people’s lives, from foundation models to industry-specific tools, AI adoption is accelerating across sectors—and the summit serves as a space to explore where this investment is heading next.

Key programme features include:

• Innovation Factory Grand Finale

Startups from around the world will present AI solutions in areas such as automation, decision intelligence, and infrastructure optimization. Finalists will pitch their business models to a panel of investors and global partners, with opportunities for funding and strategic support.

• AI for Good Impact Awards

In partnership with Tech To The Rescue, this initiative celebrates exceptional achievements in the field of AI, recognizing innovative and impactful AI solutions that contribute to global progress.

• Youth Zone and Robotics for Good Challenge

With an expanded footprint for 2025, the Youth Zone will offer AI and robotics workshops for young people aged 7–18. The Robotics for Good Youth Challenge Grand Finale brings together finalists from over 40 countries who have designed solutions for disaster management and emergency response.

• AI for Good Film Festival

This international competition explores how AI can expand creative possibilities in filmmaking while delivering a powerful, positive message about solving global challenges.

A uniquely Swiss angle

Another key aspect of the summit is its uniquely Swiss input. As the cradle of European entrepreneurship, Switzerland offers its most ambitious and brilliant minds a unique chance to showcase their skills. AI for good builds on this promise of entrepreneurial spirit, allowing Swiss startups and AI projects to gain global exposure and showcase their innovations. Furthermore, the aforementioned program features provide an attractive opportunity for Swiss startups in particular to be represented on the global stage.

Introducing Quantum for Good

A major new addition to the 2025 summit is the launch of Quantum for Good, an ITU initiative aligned with the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

While AI continues to scale, quantum technologies are emerging as a complementary force in computing and simulation. The Quantum for Good programme will explore how quantum advancements could support progress in pharmaceutical research, financial modelling, encryption, and scientific computing—areas where AI and quantum are increasingly converging.

This initiative includes technical briefings, joint panels with AI developers, and sessions on governance frameworks for emerging technologies. As with AI for Good, the goal is to build international understanding and cooperation around pre-competitive quantum research and policy.

Stay connected

To explore the full programme, register, or engage with the community:

https://aiforgood.itu.int/summit25/