One world or many? Third AIGG asks how AI can be governed in a fragmented world

From 26 to 30 May 2026, the Global Governance Institute hosted the third edition of its AI Global Governance (AIGG) Summer School in Brussels, under the theme "The Global Governance of AI: One World or Many?" The week opened at the Residence Palace with a panel on AI as a global governance challenge. Its focus on the tension between shared rules and competing national interests framed the debates of the days that followed.

Fifteen participants from 14 different countries took part, including the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Türkiye, Morocco, Egypt, and across Europe. Many held senior roles in AI governance, leading data and AI strategy in global companies or managing privacy and compliance. They were joined by professionals from humanitarian response, EU affairs, and technology policy, which brought practical experience from very different settings into every discussion.

The first days covered ethics alignment, data sovereignty, and the systemic risks posed by generative AI, as well as the EU AI Act and what it means for intellectual property and competitiveness. Participants also examined how AI is used in atrocities investigations, before turning to the geopolitics of the technology, from the global chip race and US–China competition to AI in defence and national security. The final day looked ahead to emerging signals in AI development and ended with a hands-on prompt engineering workshop.

The programme also included four institutional visits. At the Council of the European Union, the focus was on 'EU Inc.' and the push to make it easier for innovative companies to grow across the single market. At the Microsoft Center Brussels, the conversation turned to the role of big tech in AI governance, from responsible AI and transatlantic relations to how companies engage with European regulation. Officials at the European Commission's AI Office walked participants through the implementation of the AI Act, and a session with UNDP at the UN House in Brussels looked at AI and human development. On the final day, small groups worked on real-world AI incidents and presented their governance responses to their peers.

We would like to thank all lecturers, hosts, and participants for making the third edition of AIGG a success.