On September 25, leaders from government, technology, and civil society gathered in New York City on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly at an event hosted by the Club de Madrid, an organization of over 100 democratically elected former Heads of State and Government, and AI Adoption Initiative member Amazon Web Services.

Participants explored how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of global competitiveness and what startups need to scale and innovate.  Participants shared best practices to address the AI adoption gap and the need for use-case specific regulations and international standards. Lessons learned were shared from regions such as the EU, where high compliance costs and regulatory uncertainty pose challenges, and from jurisdictions like the U.S. and Singapore fostering and advancing innovation-friendly regulatory environments.

There was consensus amongst participants that the role of AI is transformative when applied across economies and industries. From accelerating innovation to reshaping productivity, AI adoption was positioned not as a choice, but as a critical lever for economies seeking to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global marketplace.

Looking ahead

As AI adoption accelerates, dialogue between policymakers, innovators, and thought leaders is necessary. AIAI will continue to bring together voices from around the world to ensure AI becomes a tool for opportunity and growth.

Learn more and get involved: www.adopt-ai.org.