Amid Global Concerns Over Superintelligence, Riyadh to Host UNESCO Forum Advancing Ethical AI Governance
As global concerns grow over the rapid development of artificial superintelligence, Riyadh will host the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence from 14 to 17 September 2026, bringing together international policymakers and experts to advance ethical AI governance.
As global concerns intensify over the rapid development of artificial superintelligence, international attention is turning to Riyadh, which will host the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence from 14 to 17 September 2026.
Held under the theme “Transforming Global Cooperation for Ethical AI Governance,” the Forum will bring together governments, international organizations, academia, industry and civil society to advance international cooperation and translate shared ethical principles into effective AI governance that serves people, societies and the public good.
The Forum comes amid growing debate within the global technology community over the pace of advanced AI development and the adequacy of existing safeguards. The debate intensified following the resignation of AI researcher Jacob Coxon from Anthropic. Coxon, who previously worked on pre-training research at both OpenAI and Anthropic, warned in a widely discussed public post that companies were “racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.”
His warning has drawn renewed attention to the potential risks of increasingly autonomous AI systems, competitive pressures among technology companies and the need for stronger international coordination on AI safety and governance.
Across four days, the Riyadh Forum will address key issues shaping the future of ethical AI governance, including AI safety, supervision and accountability, institutional readiness, capacity building, responsible innovation and international cooperation.
The programme will feature high-level ministerial dialogues, expert panels, specialized workshops and exchanges of global experiences. Discussions will also focus on advancing the implementation of UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence—the first global standard-setting instrument in this field.
The Forum is organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE).
Media representatives worldwide are invited to register to attend the Forum and its press conference. Registration, programme details, speaker information and updates are available at:
https://registration-gfeai.icaire.org/en/join
For more about the Forum, visit:
