Launching the Global Conversation on AI Governance: Insights from Amba Kak
On September 25, 2025, Amba Kak, Co-Executive Director of the AI Now Institute, inaugurated the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. Below are her comprehensive remarks, highlighting critical perspectives on the future of artificial intelligence regulation and development.
Introduction: A Call to Collaborative Leadership
Distinguished guests and esteemed colleagues, it is a privilege to address you today. I am Amba Kak, co-leading the AI Now Institute, an independent research organization based in New York City dedicated to examining the societal impacts of AI technologies.
1. The Imperative for an Independent Scientific Oversight Panel
We stand at a pivotal crossroads in AI advancement. Despite remarkable technological breakthroughs and widespread adoption, the industry faces significant challenges. Massive investments have been poured into AI development, yet many companies lack clear profitability models. This environment fosters a competitive rush to market dominance, often accompanied by exaggerated claims of AI benefits and minimized acknowledgment of potential harms.
Relying on corporations to self-assess their AI systems is insufficient and risky. Independent, evidence-based evaluation is essential, especially in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and defense, where AI integration is accelerating. Fortunately, a growing network of technologists is ready to contribute their expertise, but they require immediate funding and institutional backing to fulfill this role effectively.
2. Expanding Access and Building Capacity to Democratize AI
The current AI development model, driven by rapid scaling and market dominance, disproportionately benefits a small group of technology conglomerates. Although AI’s supply chain spans the globe-from rare earth minerals for advanced processors to data centers in resource-limited regions and the often-overlooked labor force preparing datasets-the economic gains remain highly centralized.
This concentration of AI power poses risks to national sovereignty and democratic governance worldwide. However, this trajectory is not predetermined. A multifaceted strategy is necessary, including industrial policies that support alternative AI development pathways accountable to local communities, alongside progressive taxation to redistribute wealth generated by AI.
Simultaneously, global cooperation is crucial to reform the AI market’s structural imbalances, preventing dominant firms from entrenching their positions and limiting competition. Such coordinated policy efforts can foster a more equitable and resilient AI ecosystem.
3. Prioritizing Social Impact Over Narrow Geopolitical Goals
We welcome an inclusive, global dialogue that emphasizes AI’s developmental and societal consequences. However, it is vital that national strategies for AI sovereignty transcend mere geopolitical security concerns or protectionism favoring domestic tech companies.
True innovation in AI governance should address pressing social and economic challenges faced by everyday citizens, rather than defaulting to simplistic technological fixes. In the international race to lead in AI, governments must focus on delivering tangible benefits to their populations, ensuring that AI advancements translate into real-world improvements.
Thank you for your attention and commitment to shaping a responsible and equitable future for artificial intelligence.
