Policy Brief

Inclusive AI Governance: Positioning Development and Equity at the Core of the G20 Agenda

The Evolution of G20 AI Governance

Since 2019, the G20 has shifted the focus of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) agenda from general ethical debates to practical governance frameworks, treating AI as a key economic asset. The G20 acknowledges AI's impact on development, security, and digital sovereignty, but implementing effective governance, especially in developing countries, remains difficult. Differences in regulations, unequal access to computing resources and data, algorithmic bias, and limited oversight could widen the technology gap. This makes it essential for G20 AI governance to focus on global fairness.

The G20 first addressed AI governance at the 2019 Osaka Summit by adopting the G20 AI Principles, which focused on trustworthy and inclusive AI. Later presidencies moved from focusing mainly on transparency and ethics to highlighting AI's role in pandemic response, healthcare, and digital services (Saudi Arabia, 2020); digital transformation and workforce changes (Italy, 2021); digital inclusion for developing countries (Indonesia, 2022); generative AI and governance (India, 2023); social inclusion and digital fairness (Brazil, 2024); and building capacity and fair access for the Global South (South Africa, 2025).

Bridging the Global AI Divide

As the G20's AI agenda has evolved, it is increasingly positioned to play a leading role in shaping inclusive global governance frameworks. Unlike smaller, technology-focused groupings, the G20 brings together advanced, emerging, and developing economies, enabling a more comprehensive dialogue that spans development, inequality, finance, infrastructure, and trade. The G20 now sees AI as a governance issue that needs coordination across regulations, economic policies, cybersecurity, and development plans. There is also a growing recognition that AI governance cannot remain concentrated among a few advanced countries. Instead, an increasing number of G20 members are advocating for interoperable frameworks that support responsible innovation, broader access to technology, and more equitable participation in the global digital economy.

Generative AI as a Turning Point

The rise of generative AI after 2022 marked a key shift in G20 discussions. These new technologies raised concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, data privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity risks, and job loss. In response, G20 countries began to focus more on balancing innovation with safety measures. Across several presidencies, the need for guardrails for high-risk AI was highlighted. But along with this, the need for caution against too much regulation was also flagged since it could slow innovation and digital growth. The debate shifted from whether to regulate AI to how to create flexible, inclusive, and adaptable governance across countries.

Enabling Inclusive AI Governance

As AI becomes central to global economic and governance frameworks, the G20 has a critical role in shaping pathways that are both innovative and inclusive. The following recommendations outline actionable priorities to ensure that AI governance frameworks promote equitable access, mitigate risks, and support development across diverse economies.

Building interoperable governance frameworks: The G20 should advance principles-based, interoperable AI governance models that allow regulatory alignment without imposing uniform standards. A tiered, risk-based approach can enable countries at different levels of digital maturity to adopt frameworks suited to their capacities while maintaining global compatibility.

Equitable access to AI infrastructure: Bridging the AI divide requires targeted investments in infrastructure, open datasets, and digital public goods, especially in developing economies. The G20 should promote shared AI resources and cross-border data collaboration frameworks to democratize access beyond a few technology leaders.

SDGs in AI deployment strategies: AI governance must be explicitly linked to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) outcomes, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and financial inclusion. The G20 can institutionalize "AI for Development" pathways, ensuring that adoption is not just commercially driven but also aligned with inclusive growth priorities.

Strengthening Global South capacities: The G20 should prioritize AI skilling, regulatory capacity building, and institutional strengthening in emerging economies. Public-private partnerships and knowledge-sharing platforms can help address gaps in technical expertise, governance capabilities, and workforce transition planning.

Balancing innovation with accountability: Instead of rigid rules, the G20 should promote adaptive, risk-based regulatory sandboxes and audit mechanisms for high-risk AI systems. This would enable innovation while ensuring safeguards around bias, misinformation, privacy, and cybersecurity, particularly in rapidly evolving areas like generative AI.

The Road Ahead

The evolution of G20 discussions on AI from 2019 to 2025 underscores that AI governance is now a core element of global economic strategy, rather than a purely technical concern. With the United States leading the G20 in 2026, AI – alongside digital trade and cybersecurity – will remain central to the agenda. The key challenge will be to ensure equitable distribution of AI's benefits while mitigating associated risks. For the Global South, the G20 remains a critical platform to advance access, inclusion, and capacity-building for future AI standards. Ultimately, the G20's effectiveness will depend on its ability to balance innovation with inclusive, adaptive governance, keeping it at the heart of the global AI agenda.