The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched the AI for Good Lab to help developing and emerging economies move beyond isolated artificial intelligence pilot projects by building the policies, skills and public infrastructure needed to deploy responsible AI solutions at scale.
The AI for Good Lab, led by the ITU, is part of the implementation agenda of the United Nations AI for Good Impact Initiative. The initiative was announced during the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 in Geneva.
AI for Good Lab: Three-pillar support model
The Lab will provide integrated support across three areas: national AI readiness and policy, skills development, and public AI infrastructure. The model is designed to help countries assess AI capabilities, strengthen institutions, develop local talent and build sustainable AI ecosystems that deliver long-term economic and social impact.
The AI for Good Lab will support governments through AI readiness assessments, policy guidance and capacity-building programs to identify national priorities and develop the investments, governance frameworks and institutional capabilities required for responsible AI adoption.
Its skills development programs will build inclusive local talent pipelines by equipping policymakers, public-sector leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, students and young innovators with the capabilities needed to develop and apply AI effectively. The programs include the AI for Good Innovation Factory, which has engaged more than 200 startups from over 88 countries since its launch in 2020.
Public AI infrastructure and sandbox tools
The AI for Good Lab will also support public AI infrastructure by providing access to open datasets, compute resources, reusable AI models and open-source tools through sandbox environments. The platform will enable governments, academia, startups and industry to test, adapt and validate AI solutions tailored to local needs across priority sectors including health, agriculture, education and mobility, in line with international standards.
Rep. Image Credits: Magnific | Cropped by GBN
The initiative builds on AI for Good Sandbox activities in 10 pilot countries, Cameroon, India, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as collaboration with the African Telecommunications Union.
Dr. Ebtesam Almazrouei Chairperson – United Nations AI for Good Impact Initiative
“Artificial intelligence is entering its implementation decade. Countries are no longer asking whether AI can transform society; they are asking how it can be implemented responsibly, inclusively and at scale. The ITU’s AI for Good Lab will help turn proven ideas into national capabilities and measurable outcomes. Its success will not be defined by the sophistication of technology alone, but by the opportunities it creates, the inequalities it reduces and the lives it improves. As AI capabilities advance towards artificial general intelligence and a new era of humanoid machines, international collaboration will be critical to ensuring that progress remains responsible, inclusive and human-centered.”
Almazrouei added that the Lab provides a practical platform for countries and partners to shape that future together, building the capabilities, standards and safeguards needed to turn emerging technologies into shared progress.
Seizo Onoe, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, said that, “Every country deserves the chance to shape its own AI future. Our AI for Good Lab reflects ITU’s commitment to ensuring that the benefits of AI reach everyone, everywhere, turning global ambition into national capability to build strong AI ecosystems at home.”
Image credits: freepik | Cropped by GBN
The AI for Good Lab will work with national governments and ITU regional offices to establish local and regional hubs, facilitate knowledge exchange and help successful projects advance toward wider implementation.
By connecting proven AI solutions with national policy, skills and infrastructure support, the AI for Good Lab aims to accelerate the transition from innovation to implementation, helping countries scale AI solutions that address national priorities and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
