Data for Development: Building AI in the Global South

Official Side Event to the Paris
AI Action Summit 2025

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February 11, 2025



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4:30 PM - 6:30 PM



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École Normale Supérieure
45 rue d'Ulm
75230 Paris 05



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Registration


About the Event


The Center of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) is organising panel discussions under the theme "Data for Development: Building AI in the Global South" on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit 2025 in Paris. The event is being hosted in partnership with AI4India and the Centre for Indo-European Cooperation.

By bringing together global industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers, the event will deliberate upon the critical data-related challenges hindering the development of effective and mature AI systems in the Global South. The dialogue is an attempt to spur actionable strategies and nurture a collective commitment to building an inclusive, trustworthy, and transformative AI ecosystem for the Global South.



About the Theme


Today, AI is reshaping the global development agenda, with governments in the Global South adopting AI to solve complex governance challenges. However, their progress is being hindered by limited access to high-quality, locally relevant data in a supportive environment. Some of the major factors contributing to this problem include domination over local data by global tech giants, inadequate infrastructure and funding, lack of interoperable systems, biases in AI systems, and low maturity of data governance frameworks. The problem of data drift, where models fail to adapt to changing local realities over time, further complicates the creation of reliable and sustainable AI systems for diverse populations. Addressing these problems is crucial to ensuring AI can drive inclusive growth and sustainable development in the Global South.

1. Data Sovereignty in the Global South: Leadership in the Age of AI

This session explores how the Global South can assert leadership over its data assets while fostering equitable global collaboration. It will examine the legal, ethical, and strategic dimensions of data governance critical to empowering nations in an AI-driven world.

2. Reimagining Economies: AI’s Role in Driving Growth in the Global South

Focusing on AI’s transformative potential, this session engages with the fashion in which emerging technologies will reshape economies in the Global South. It will address economic growth, innovation ecosystems, and the opportunities and risks posed by AI in diverse sectors.

3. Shaping Workforces: AI’s Influence on Non-Skilled and Semi-Skilled Labor

This session examines the impact of AI on non-skilled and semi-skilled labor markets in the Global South while discussing the risks of job displacement, strategies for workforce reskilling, and the role of emerging technologies in creating sustainable employment opportunities.

Our Panellists


Abhishek Singh
Mr. Abhishek Singh

Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Government of India

Dr. Ramanand
Dr. Ramanand

Director

Center of Policy Research and Governance

Sean Dougherty
Dr. Sean Dougherty

Senior Advisor

OECD

Joël
Dr. Joel Ruet

CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CRG-i3

Ravi Kaushik
Mr. Ravi Kaushik

Executive Director

Center for Indo-European Cooperation

Sriram Subramanian
Mr. Sriram Subramanian

Founder/Principal

CloudDon

Mr. Shashi Shekhar
Mr. Shashi Shekhar Vempati

Co-Founder

AI4India

Sriram Subramanian
Mr. Alok Agrawal

Co-Founder

AI4India

Sriram Subramanian
Mr. Chetan Aggarwal

Visiting Fellow

Center of Policy Research and Governance

Sriram Subramanian
Mr. Parikshit Dhume

AI Innovation Expert


FAQs

The theme of the event, “Data for Development: Building AI in the Global South,” focuses on addressing data-related challenges in building efficient and sustainable AI systems in the Global South.

The event will bring together a diverse group of participants, including policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, AI entrepreneurs, and experts from both the Global North and South.

The event will serve as a platform to deliberate upon issues like data accessibility, data inclusivity, data drift; sovereign AI, data governance, interoperable data systems, trust in AI models developed in the West for Global South contexts, and relevant best practices.

Yes, the event is completely free for all participants. However, pre-registration is required to secure your spot and access to event updates.

You can register by filling out this form.