Doreen Bogdan-Martin – AI For Good Global Leaders Spotlight

The Diplomat Building a Global AI Future

As artificial intelligence reshapes economies, governments, and societies at unprecedented speed, few global leaders have done more to ensure that this transformation serves humanity than Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Since assuming office in 2023 as the first woman ever elected to lead the 160-year-old UN specialized agency, Bogdan-Martin has positioned the ITU at the center of one of the defining challenges of our era: ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared globally rather than concentrated among a handful of nations and companies. Under her leadership, the ITU has become a leading convener of governments, industry, academia, and civil society to shape an inclusive vision for artificial intelligence, one rooted in international cooperation, digital inclusion, and practical solutions.

That vision comes to life at the AI for Good Global Summit, the flagship gathering she hosts each year in Geneva. Since its launch in 2017, AI for Good has evolved from a niche UN technology conference into one of the world’s premier forums for AI governance, innovation, and real-world applications. The 2026 Summit arrives at a pivotal moment, as countries race to develop national AI strategies while simultaneously grappling with profound questions around safety, trust, regulation, and equitable access.

From Connectivity to Intelligence

Doreen Bogdan-Martin’s leadership reflects a career-long understanding that technological revolutions succeed only when they are inclusive.

With more than three decades at the ITU, she has championed efforts to expand meaningful connectivity, close digital divides, and strengthen telecommunications infrastructure across developing countries. Before becoming Secretary-General, she served as Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, where she advanced global initiatives on broadband expansion, digital policy, youth engagement, and gender equality in technology. She also helped establish the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, launched the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age, and led ITU’s collaboration with UNICEF’s Giga initiative to connect every school to the internet.

Today, those same priorities underpin her approach to AI.

Rather than viewing artificial intelligence simply as the next technological breakthrough, Bogdan-Martin consistently frames AI as a development challenge, one that requires investments in skills, infrastructure, standards, and international cooperation if it is to benefit all countries rather than deepen existing inequalities.

AI for Everyone, Everywhere

A central theme of Bogdan-Martin’s leadership has been ensuring that AI does not become another driver of global inequality.

More than two billion people remain offline, placing entire communities at risk of missing the economic, educational, and social opportunities created by AI. Bogdan-Martin has repeatedly argued that closing the digital divide is no longer solely about internet access: it is increasingly about access to AI itself.

This philosophy is reflected throughout the AI for Good Summit, which brings together world leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and UN agencies to showcase AI applications spanning healthcare, education, agriculture, disaster resilience, climate action, robotics, accessibility, and scientific discovery. The event emphasizes practical deployment alongside policy discussions, demonstrating how emerging technologies can improve lives across both developed and developing economies.

Shaping Global AI Governance

Bogdan-Martin’s influence extends well beyond the Summit itself.

As governments increasingly recognize the need for international coordination on artificial intelligence, the ITU has emerged as a central institution supporting global dialogue. This year’s AI for Good Summit takes place alongside the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, reflecting growing momentum toward international frameworks that balance innovation with responsibility.

The ITU has also announced the launch of the AI for Good Global Commission, bringing together heads of state, technology executives, UN leaders, and experts to help develop practical pathways for trustworthy, inclusive AI. Serving as Vice-Chair of the Commission, Bogdan-Martin has emphasized that no single government, company, or institution can ensure AI benefits humanity alone. Global collaboration will be essential.

Why Her Leadership Matters

At a time when AI conversations are often dominated by competition, geopolitical rivalry, and commercial investment, Doreen Bogdan-Martin has consistently advanced a complementary narrative: that artificial intelligence must also be a tool for international cooperation and sustainable development.

Her leadership recognizes that the greatest measure of AI’s success will not be the sophistication of its models alone, but whether it improves lives, expands opportunity, strengthens resilience, and reaches the billions of people who remain underserved by today’s digital economy.

As AI enters a new phase of global deployment, Bogdan-Martin is helping shape not only the technology itself, but the international institutions, partnerships, and governance frameworks that will determine whether AI ultimately serves everyone, everywhere.