AI for Developing Countries Forum (AIFOD) Summit

Dr Craig Gibbs, JET Executive Manager: Implementation and Innovation, is representing JET Education Services at the AI for Developing Countries Forum (AIFOD) summit, taking place from 12-14 August 2026 at the United Nations in Geneva. The theme of the summit is Small Takes the Lead: The future belongs to the many, not the few. During the summit, Craig will give a talk on AI and the future and lead panel discussions on AI in education.

AIFOD serves as a global platform that brings together leaders, policymakers, innovators, academics, and humanitarian organisations to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and develop AI solutions tailored to the needs of developing countries. It was established to address the gap between the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in developed countries and its limited accessibility in developing nations. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), AIFOD aims to promote the responsible, ethical, and equitable use of AI to drive social and economic development worldwide.

On day two of the AIFOD summit, Craig was part of an engaging panel session, focusing on an important question: Should Big AI decide what the next generation learns?

Craig shares his reflection on how the discussion explored how AI education can move beyond access, short courses and tool adoption towards genuine capability, human judgement, institutional readiness and locally governed learning. The range of perspectives of the panel, from pedagogy and teacher development to higher education, organisational adoption, public-sector transformation, and local language and cultural considerations, made the discussion particularly valuable. The session was marked by a high level of audience participation, with questions, reflections and engagement continuing throughout. The strong turnout and active involvement made it clear that there is significant and growing interest in AI in education across different contexts and regions.