Next Gen AI Forum: Preparing for Tomorrow’s AI Governance Today
Next Gen AI Forum: Preparing for Tomorrow’s AI Governance Today
A Pre-Summit Convening for the India AI Impact Summit 2026
Date & Time
🗓 Friday, January 30, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (EST)
Location
📍 Hybrid Event
Main Venue: Montreal, Canada (in-person)
Hybrid Participation Hubs: Ghana, India, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, Türkiye
(exact venues shared with registered participants)
Host
Encode Canada, in coordination with Encode’s international network
Description
Global developments in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition, private sector strategies, and uneven access to technological and economic resources. Such dynamics raise urgent questions about AI safety, workforce transformation, technological sovereignty, and who ultimately benefits from AI diffusion across the globe.
Young people sit at the center of these shifts. They will live with the long-term consequences of today’s AI governance choices, yet their perspectives remain underrepresented in formal policy and decision-making spaces.
The Next Gen AI Forum is a one-day, hybrid Pre-Summit Event ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, designed to create a structured, policy-relevant forum where youth and Global Majority perspectives meaningfully inform discussions on:
Global AI safety and governance
The future of work and skills pathways
Access, inclusion, and opportunity in the AI ecosystem
The programme brings together youth leaders, policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, and practitioners across regions. It combines expert panels with an interactive, policy-oriented workshop, in order to ensure both high-level dialogue and concrete outcomes.
Insights generated throughout the day will be synthesized into a concise post-event outcome brief, intended to directly inform deliberations within the India AI Impact Summit ecosystem.
Who Should Attend
Students and early-career professionals interested in AI governance and safety
Policymakers and public sector practitioners
Researchers and academics working on AI, labour, or public policy
Civil society and advocacy organizations
Anyone interested in inclusive, globally informed approaches to AI governance
(while youth and GM perspectives are centred, the event is open to all.)
Core Themes
Safe & Trusted AI
Inclusion for Social Empowerment
Human Capital & Youth Futures
Global Majority perspectives on AI governance
Careers and pathways in AI & AI safety
Agenda Overview
(all times EST)
10:00 - 10:05
Opening Keynote: Framing AI Safety, Work, and Youth Futures
10:05 - 10:50
Panel 1: Future of Work & AI
How AI is reshaping labour markets and youth economic futures across regions
11:00 - 11:50
Panel 2: Careers in AI Governance & Safety
Skills pathways, entry points, and barriers for young people globally
12:00 - 12:50
Panel 3: Global AI Safety & Governance
International shifts and implications for Global Majority regions
1:00 - 2:00
Interactive Workshop:
Youth priorities, regional gaps, practical policy recommendations
(facilitated breakout groups)
A synthesis session will follow post-event to consolidate outcomes.
What You’ll Leave With
A clearer understanding of global AI governance shifts
Practical insights on careers and skills pathways in AI & AI safety
Exposure to cross-regional youth perspectives
Contribution to a policy-relevant outcome brief submitted to the India AI Impact Summit
Connection to a growing international AI governance network
Format
Hybrid (in-person + coordinated regional hubs)
Moderated panels + facilitated breakout discussions
Outcome-oriented and policy-focused
Registration Note
Spaces are limited to support meaningful participation and facilitation.
Please register in advance and join the WhatsApp group for updates: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IY3ycVNkEJ0FP0t1yylYEN
Speakers
Speaker announcements will be shared on Encode Canada’s and social channels.
Questions
Feel free to submit any questions via this Google Forms by January 28th, 11:59pm AoE. Selected questions will be directed to speakers during the sessions.