iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Can't wait to see how this plays out at ITU Plenipot in November, given there's an established resolution on "AI". Will US diplomats be forced to call for a vote to change res to "SI"? No doubt, it'd fail. Just like USA's attempts at CSTD to delete "gender" & "SDGs" in draft ECOSOC resolutions.

apnews.com

US diplomats told to say ‘super intelligence’ — not ‘artificial intelligence' — after Trump's call

The State Department is ordering diplomats in its international organizations bureau to use the term “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence” in all communications following President...

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

EU looking at AI tech independent of US+China is the next step of an increasingly global race to nationalize digital tech, following the harsh realization, since Trump, that US Big Tech, like Chinese Big Tech, has close ties to its national administration & is not a "neutral" global service.

theguardian.com

Europe must build own AI or risk getting cut off by US or China, says ECB’s Lagarde

Central bank chief says continent’s AI dependency could give trade partners unprecedented leverage in negotiations

010

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Communities are protesting against massive data centres being built, but the natural world appears to prefer a far more confrontational approach to fighting back against Big Tech.

independent.co.uk

3 hospitalized as massive swarm of bees invades Arizona computer workplace

Ten people were reportedly stung by bees at the Intel manufacturing campus in Chandler, Arizona on Monday

010

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Australia's federal govt wants more AI use. Both state & fed govts want to protect children from digital tech (social media; now edtech). What about protecting boomers from social media misinfo, which seems to be root of so many threats to our children's future (climate change, anti vax, etc)

theguardian.com

NSW to put strict caps on screen time in classrooms while pushing for ‘pen and paper’ learning

Screen limits will become mandatory in NSW schools from 2028 as federal education minister says students may need a ‘digital detox’

020

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

It's in keeping for Trump not to pay what he owes others: "The $725m [the US will shortly pay] would be less than 20% of the more ‌than $4bn that the UN said in May ‌it was owed by the United States – though Washington has said that total figure is much lower and that it has made some payments."

theguardian.com

Trump administration begins transfer of $725m to UN, amid billions owed

UN secretary general has said UN faces ‘imminent financial collapse’ due to unpaid contributions from member states

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Wonder if Putin is kicking himself for not thinking of this strategy to replace his own soldiers being killed & wounded in his invasion of Ukraine.

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

A good time to repost my earlier link to article about clueless generalist discount store cashing in on smart glasses without understanding the implications of tech. Selling cheap copycat tech for a quick $ is enabling cash-poor teens to emulate that other digital menace, toxic masculine influencers

futurism.com

Teen Boys Are Using Meta Glasses to Harass and Bully Girls at High Schools and Middle Schools

Teen boys are using Meta's AI glasses to harass and bully victims -- overwhelmingly girls -- at middle schools and high schools.

011

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Update 3: ITU sent discussion doc on possible options for ITU Plenipotentiary 2026 on Friday, when most of AP region was already finished work for the week, so AP region not only needs to be 2 places at once (APT mtg & extraordinary Council mtg, but now also 2 days behind RoW reviewing this doc.

itu.int

[2]� Preparation for the 2026 Plenipotentiary Conference

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Applications for ICANN's 2nd round of new gTLDs closed 12 August. Two days before that, the USA's Texas State CIO pre-emptively wrote to ICANN to object to any application for a string associated with "Texas".

itp.cdn.icann.org

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

This will make the next UN Global Mechanism on cybersecurity session "fun". Particularly since Russia's already vetoed participation of many US-based tech companies for attributing cyberattacks to Russia. Just imagine how they'll react to being attacked by many of those same companies they vetoed!

theguardian.com

Donald Trump empowers US private companies to conduct cyber-attacks

President signed memorandum giving private sector a role in fighting ‘transnational criminal organizations’

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Viewing IGF2026 proposals, name should be changed: Internet Governance Forum → AI Governance Forum Scope creep galore! Not to mention AI's already talked about in so many other (UN) forums. If ITU scope crept like this, there'd be an outcry. But somehow, IGFers think it's fine for IGF to do it.

intgovforum.org

Workshop Proposals 2026 | Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Coming up at the UN: A Youth & AI Summit to mark International Youth Day, 12 August. Webcast on UN WebTV. Notably, it's organized by International Organization of Youth, without any co-involvement of ODET or ITU. Or even the IGF, which is increasingly pivoting to focus on AI.

iycforyouth.org

Youth and AI Summit, August 12, 2026: International Youth Day

110

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Announced on social media, 5 Aug, but still not in IGF website news or anywhere in IGF 2026 set of web pages, 7-9 Sep 2nd Open Consultation & MAG mtg registration is now open. (One wonders why the website was upgraded, since this year, info goes to social media, with website a late afterthought.)

indico.un.org

IGF 2026 2nd Open Consultations and MAG Meeting

Participants (both onsite and online) are required to create an account at this UN Accreditation System beforehand (if not owning one yet) and register electronically prior to the event. Technical sup...

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Governments keen to attract water & power hungry data centres need to remember that water & power access are increasingly a problem, in general, with extreme climate change. Do we really need AI in our lives & businesses so much that governments are willing to sacrifice power & water to our homes?

theguardian.com

Romania blasts rock to divert water from drought-hit Danube to nuclear reactor

Hungary and Romania face energy crisis as record-low river levels force atomic power plants to reduce output

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I see Elon Musk's errant SpaceX rocket is on track to replicate the famous image from this silent movie. You know, he could have just used AI to do it instead, like he's threatened to do for his version of The Odyssey movie.

en.wikipedia.org

A Trip to the Moon - Wikipedia

001

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The problem with tech being so widespread & part of our everyday lives is generalist discount department stores like Kmart are increasingly wanting in on the action, but don't have the tech policy/governance expertise to understand societal & legal implications of selling smart devices like this.

theguardian.com

Kmart sells out of low-cost rival to Meta camera glasses across Australia amid warnings of ‘privacy nightmare’

Expert says people face being filmed without their consent as $89 Anko smartglasses sell out in stores and online

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Update 2: the 25 August extraordinary ITU Council mtg to discuss Plenipotentiary security issues is at same time APT (38 countries) has Plenipot prep mtg in Brisbane, 24-28 August. You know, the other side of the planet to Geneva, where ITU Council members must be in person for any vote on Plenipot.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Looks like the UN Global Dialogue on Al Governance folks are over-relying on generative AI to be accurate when creating their own web pages: the 11th STI Forum was *this* year in May. The next Global Dialogue will be held before the *next* STI Forum, which will be the 12th iteration of the forum.

Screenshot of Global Dialogue on Al Governance homepage with wrong information:
"Save the Date: Global Dialogue on Al Governance 2027
The next Global Dialogue on Al Governance continues in New York from 3-4 May 2027, back-to-back with the 11th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals."
(The meeting is actually back-to-back with the 12th Multi-stakeholder Forum )

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

An update: Although the ITU Council webpage still says the circular letter to Council members about the extraordinary session to discuss Plenipotentiary 2026 security issues is yet to be published. It's actually available if you know where to look: www.itu.int/md/S26-DM-CI...

itu.int

[1006]� Convening of an Extraordinary session of the Council on preparations for the 2026 plenipotentiary conference - To Member States of ITU Council

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

It's happened. The ITU Council 2026 has been called to discuss the venue of Plenipotentiary 2026, due to be held Doha, Qatar, 9-27 November. It's been one of those situations where nobody wanted to offend host Qatar or any of the warring parties causing the location of Plenipot to be under a cloud.

ITU COUNCIL
GENEVA 2026
Extraordinary session of the Council-26
The extraordinary session of the ITU Council 2026 will take place on 25
August 2026, from 1200 to 1500 hours (Geneva time), at the ITU Popov room.
It is open to Council Member States, Observer Member States, Resolution 99 (Palestine), the six Regional Telecommunication Organizations (CITEL, ATU, APT, LAS, RCC, CEPT), and the nine nominated Sector Members to C26

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

A US man once told me there were 2 types of Americans: those w passports & those w/o (those who've been outside US have a broader world view vs those who, well, don't) But that dichotomy's wrong. This slide was created by someone who'd been outside USA & still couldn't tell a map was utterly wrong!

theguardian.com

US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference

State department ‘takes full responsibility’ for erroneous, widely shared chart displayed at Aids conference in Brazil

110

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Global Mechanism on ICT Security: it's worth noting the only Member State that mentions its head of state in the UN is USA. Everyone else refers to country name or a collective "we" to refer to its position, whereas USA, under current admin, repeatedly name checks Trump as source of its position.

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security: it will surprise nobody that AI is being mentioned by a large number of Member States as one of the key emerging cybersecurity threats of concern. Threats to critical infrastructure are also of great concern.

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

1/ UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security: 90 mins into 1st session of 1st G-Mech plenary, States are still debating the vetoing of 50+ % of NGOs who applied to participate. Most States who've taken floor on issue have expressed deep concern, with a handful trying to see both sides of the issue.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

1/ UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security: China believes the fact that some Member States state that the accreditation of NGOs process doesn't apply to Dedicated Thematic Groups (meaning the 50 vetoed NGOs could participate) raises red flags.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security, Russia responds to "unjustified attacks" against it: NGOs who participate in this group are supposed to objectively refrain from politicization. NGOs Russia objected to didn't meet this criteria as they make unfounded political attribution of computer attacks.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security: Netherlands deeply regrets 50 of the 92 NGOs that applied for accreditation to participate in the G-Mech were vetoed by States. Feels this goes against the spirit of what was agreed during the OEWG, & unnecessarily hinders the practical potential of the G-Mech.

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security: Chair reports that 8 Member States have concerns (aka vetoed) about some of the NGOs that applied for accreditation to participate in the work of the group & she is continuing to work with those States to see if their concerns can be addressed.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security: The Chair is giving a long pep talk to Member States, doing her best to encourage States to overcome current (rather significant) geopolitical differences between many of them to jointly work towards making cyberspace safer for all.

001

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

The UN Global Mechanism on ICTs in the Context of International Security is on this week in NYC & about to start. I'm following along via UN Web TV from Australia, at midnight. Details of the week's meeting:

meetings.unoda.org

Global Mechanism on ICTs in the Context of International Security -Plenary (2026) | United Nations

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I wonder how killing DSIT will affect UK's ability to have any meaningful influence at ITU Plenipotentiary, which is 4 months away. US has lost influence at ITU (& UN) thanks to its current administration. UK losing its influence, too, in tech policy could be a boon for G77 positions at Plenipot.

theguardian.com

UK tech advocates alarmed by Burnham plan to scrap technology department

MPs and industry experts say potential reorganisation will waste time at critical moment for AI and economic growth

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

WSIS Forum 2026, UN USG for Policy, Guy Ryder: We cannot afford a fragmented UN digital & AI landscape nor overlapping mandates, competing platforms or any confusion for the very govts we r meant to serve. Governance should encounter partnership, clarity & coordinated support across the UN system.

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

WSIS Forum 2026, @itusecgen.bsky.social: Our renewed [WSIS] mandate may have been adopted in New York. But it will be delivered by the people in this room, by the WSIS community here in Geneva, and all over the world.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The final afternoon of the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance is now underway in Geneva. You can follow along via UN Web TV at webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1e...

webtv.un.org

Closing Sessions - Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance - Day 2

Reflections, Convergences and the Way Forward - Plenary sessions

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Parallel to UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, at AI Safety Forum in Sydney, Australia's assistant tech minister said AI models r "cheating, deceiving, going their own way. The time to get ahead of that behaviour is while it’s still confined to the testing lab, not after it reaches the real world"

theguardian.com

AI models already ‘doing things their creators never intended’, Australia’s assistant technology minister warns

Andrew Charlton says artificial intelligence ‘cheating, deceiving, going their own way’ – and time to get ahead of it is in testing lab

042

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance is just beginning for its 2nd day. There are 2 parallel streams this morning: - Thematic discussion 3: Safe, secure & trustworthy AI - Thematic discussion 4: Respecting, protecting & promoting human rights Links to webcasts & details available at:

un.org

Programme | Global Dialogue on AI Governance

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Saudi Arabia: 10 years ago, this room decided to declare the Internet an essential necessity, & we have failed collectively. This year, if we fail to declare AI an existential necessity for people, planet, & prosperity, the next generations will never forgive us.

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Maria Ressa, Co-chair, Independent International Scientific Panel on AI: Ministers, heads of nations, most of your countries cannot yet test these [AI] systems, audit them, or govern them on your own terms. It's a structural fact. Read the evidence in our report.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Yoshua Bengio, Co-chair, Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence: Today, concentrated commercial & geopolitical interests are what is largely dictating the direction & speed of AI development.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UN Tech Envoy, Amandeep Singh Gill: AI is too consequential to be shaped by a few. We need a conversation that is global, inclusive, & grounded in evidence. And this should be backed by capacity, without which, dialogues are monologues & science is just abstract.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, ITU SG, Doreen Bogdan-Martin: ITU will be here to support this dialogue on artificial intelligence, as we have for every technology that has come before AI since 1865. And we stand ready to support humanity's cooperation on every technology that will come after.

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UNSG: We may be the last generation able to set the terms on which humanity & machines coexist. The door is still open. But it will not stay open long.

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UNSG: We do not let medicine reach a child until it is proven safe. We test every toy. Yet AI has reached our children, their learning, their friendships, their most private questions before anyone asked what it would do to them. We are already seeing the cost.

112

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UN SG, António Guterres: "Vibe coding can do wonders, but we cannot vibe code the truth. We cannot vibe code the future of humanity."

000

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UN SG, António Guterres notes how fast AI is happening: "The Internet took 15 years to reach 1 billion people; AI took 2."

100

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Because there's not enough discussion on AI in pretty much every UN process right now, today & tomorrow there's the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance happening in Geneva, in parallel with the WSIS Forum. Program & links to the UN Web TV webcasts: www.un.org/global-dialo...

un.org

Programme | Global Dialogue on AI Governance

111

S G Dickinson @sgdickinson.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

#IGF2026 Open Consultation: Kenyan host propose an overarching theme for this year's IGF: Governing the Future of Intelligence: Sovereignty, Trust, and an Open Internet

HOST COUNTRY PROPOSAL • EXPRESSED AS A TITLE
Governing the Future of Intelligence
Sovereignty, Trust, and an Open Internet
Introduction
The age of intelligence is here, but governance is the challenge. Sovereignty names the capability to shape one's own digital future. Trust is what allows societies to adopt these systems with confidence. And an open Internet is the foundation on which both depend. Held together, the three are the argument - not a list of topics, but a single claim about how intelligent systems should be governed.
OTHER OVERARCHING THEMES PROPOSED
Promoting Digital Commons for Development • Democratising Al Resources • Interoperable Al Governance for Humanity - each sits within
Kenya's theme as a subtheme or priority topic.

THE CONTEXT
The world is entering the age of intelligence
The global digital ecosystem is entering a new phase in which intelligence whether artificial, human or collective — is increasingly embedded in economies, public services, communications, security systems,
knowledge production and everyday life.

RESHAPING HOW SOCIETIES CREATE VALUE
Artificial intelligence
Data infrastructure
Digital public infrastructure
Cloud computing
Emerging technologies

120