Concluding Insights from the 2025 AIFOD Geneva Winter Summit

The 2025 AIFOD Geneva Winter Summit wrapped up with impactful closing speeches from influential figures, underlining the themes of transparency, unity, and optimism for the future of AI in developing countries. Kicking off the closing ceremony, AIFOD Director Velynne Ji emphasized the forum’s dedication to transparency and diversity. She announced that the summit attracted over 300,000 registration requests and 1,200 speaker applications. “We may be small, but we can be powerful,” Ji stated, highlighting the importance of prioritizing attendees from Asia, Africa, and South America to facilitate appropriate travel and visa arrangements.

Tianze Zhang, Co-Founder of AIFOD, shared three significant sentiments from the summit. He noted, “The United Nations spirit,” the urgency to “turn declarations into action,” and above all, hope. “We come together today fueled by hope. Hope is the essence of life,” Zhang expressed. He introduced three visions for AIFOD’s trajectory: enhancing public-private partnerships, guiding the private sector into developing markets responsibly, and promoting collaboration through open dialogue. Zhang indicated his desire for future events to become “smaller and more focused,” stating, “To genuinely understand the needs, we must delve deep into enterprises and remote villages that lack access to technology.”

Wendy O’Brien from the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime praised the summit’s spirit of cooperation and dedication to equality. She remarked, “We are not separate; we are united. While our cultures, languages, and traditions are rich and unique, we must strive to protect them.” O’Brien particularly commended the human-centric approach displayed by technologists and scientists throughout the summit.

Ending the summit, His Excellency E. P. Chet Greene delivered the final address, highlighting the transformative potential of AI as a tool for equity and inclusion. “AI must evolve into a global public good,” he asserted, reminding participants that “even though technology originates in laboratories, its true effects manifest in communities.” Greene urged attendees to view the summit as not merely a conclusion, but rather “the dawning of a new era of collaboration and action.”

The closing ceremony encapsulated the summit’s fundamental message: ensuring that AI is accessible and advantageous for all nations, especially those historically overlooked in technological progress. As delegates departed Geneva, they took with them not just resolutions and promises, but a collective vision for an inclusive AI future.