Responsible AI Development and Digital Equality: Second Global Digital Forum Opens in Moscow
The Second Global Digital Forum (GDF) opened Thursday, October 8, at the Mechta (Dream) complex in Moscow. Its main themes are set to include international technology cooperation, responsible artificial intelligence development and efforts to narrow the digital divide.
The GDF runs October 8–10 as part of the Tsifrovyye resheniya (Digital Solutions) forum, but is a standalone event with a program focused on international cooperation. Its planned scale is substantial. Around 1,000 IT experts from 110 countries are expected to take part in lectures, discussions and workshops, while more than 50 companies are set to showcase their advanced technologies at the exhibition. Russia is ready to share its latest achievements and work with international partners to find answers to pressing questions facing the global community today. Industry media portal IT Russia is the forum's media partner in 2026.
Responsible AI development is set to be a central theme of the GDF. The rapid advancement of AI models and autonomous systems is increasing the need for the professional community to align its approaches to safety and oversight. Two sessions, Gonka II: odni pravila ili mnogo? (The AI Race: One Set of Rules or Many?) and Globalnyy dialog po etike II (Global Dialogue on AI Ethics), are dedicated specifically to this issue. Participants are expected to examine risks associated with AI agents, the limits of autonomy for neural networks and the degree of responsibility borne by their creators. The Second Global Digital Forum could therefore become one of the first international venues where discussion of the issue moves beyond product demonstrations to examine the conditions needed to keep their use under meaningful control.
Keeping AI Under Control
A key guest at the GDF is Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies. Since January 2025, Gill has headed the relevant UN office, which supports implementation of the Global Digital Compact and international dialogue on AI governance, while advocating international cooperation in this area. In his view, no country can effectively address the challenge on its own – collective action is needed. Dedicated GDF sessions are expected to explore this approach with government, business and expert participants from Russia and other countries. On this and other issues, the GDF agenda clearly overlaps with the UN's work on global digital transformation.
Another major topic, also closely aligned with international trends, is narrowing the digital divide. Gill estimates that many countries still lack the infrastructure, skilled professionals, datasets and computing resources needed to participate fully in the development of neural networks. At the GDF, the issue is set to be considered through discussions of education, digitalization and cooperation with the Global South. Central African Republic Minister of State Evariste Ngamana spoke about the issue ahead of the event. He said one of the goals of partnership with Russia is to train the country's own digital workforce.
Forum participants are also expected to address respect for national sovereignty and nondiscriminatory access to technology. The relevant UN office is likewise working to put shared agreements in the digital sphere into practice. Participants face a difficult question: how can countries preserve their autonomy without becoming technologically isolated?
From a Digital Agenda to Joint Projects
The GDF business program includes plenary and ministerial sessions, bilateral meetings, lectures and partner-matching events, alongside educational, interactive, exhibition and partnership tracks. An exhibition spanning more than 2,000 square meters, or roughly 21,500 square feet, gives participating companies an opportunity to introduce other attendees to specific technologies they have developed. The educational program includes workshops, an IT journalism school and hands-on sessions for bloggers.
One of the advanced technologies scheduled to be presented is the ClearBid Pro digital customs platform. The service allows companies engaged in foreign trade to submit a request for customs clearance, compare offers and select the option that best suits their needs. Demonstrations like these can help technology developers find prospective customers while giving potential buyers a chance to evaluate a product before entering partnership talks.
The Second Global Digital Forum is a natural continuation of the inaugural event, held June 5–6, 2025, in Nizhny Novgorod, which brought together representatives of government agencies, international organizations, businesses and the scientific community. The second GDF retains that cross-sector mix but moves to Moscow, where it is being held alongside the Tsifrovyye resheniya forum. Its goal remains the same: to create a unique opportunity to combine discussions of global rules with concrete negotiations among industry leaders. For participants, the task is not only to establish common principles for digital development but also to agree on how those principles can be applied in joint projects.
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