The 3rd Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence recently concluded in Bangkok, Thailand, the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region. Co-hosted by UNESCO and the Government of Thailand, the event brought together over 1,200 participants from 88 countries to reaffirm that ethics is not a barrier to innovation, but it is fundamental to its success. The forum continues UNESCO’s mission to advance the adoption of its groundbreaking 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the first and only global normative framework on AI ethics.
Across 22 thematic sessions and 11 side events, the Forum addressed key topics, including gender, environment, health, disaster risk reduction, disabilities, education, culture, neurotechnology, quantum computing, and judicial systems. With the presence of 33 representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the event ensured that voices from Asia, Africa and Latin America were central to the global conversation to help address national and regional challenges.
In addition to key debates and policy dialogue, the Forum launched two major initiatives: the Global Network of AI Supervisory Authorities and the Global Network of Civil Society and Academia, reinforcing UNESCO’s leadership in fostering inclusive and rights-based AI governance.
As part of the Forum, IRCAI and UNESCO launched a global Call for Papers. From numerous submissions, 36 authors were invited to present their research in Bangkok, and 12 were selected as the best of the Forum. Here are the 1st prize winners:
Upholding Academic Integrity through AI Literacy in the Age of Generative AI in Education
Author: Nancy Kwangwa
Carrot or Stick: A Comparative Study of AI Ethics Policies Across Countries
Author: Danxia Chen
From Vision to Action: Egypt’s Hybrid Model for Responsible AI Governance
Author: Yomna Ahmed Shawky Omran
The full list of the 12 best papers is available here: https://ircai.org/global-forum-on-the-ethics-of-ai-2025/
The selected papers will be featured in the official proceedings of the Forum.
For more information about the Forum, please visit UNESCO’s website: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/bangkok-sets-pace-ai-ethics-highlights-unescos-3rd-global-forum-ethics-ai
