The United Nations Dag Hammarskj?ld Library's virtual panel discussion: ¡°Reclaiming the Commons: AI, Intellectual Property, and Global Equity¡±, will take place on Thursday, 16 July, 2025, 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. (ET). This is a side event to the .
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes research and society, questions of equity, access, accountability are becoming increasingly urgent. The Global Digital Compact recognizes digital public goods, including open AI models, as a pathway toward more inclusive innovation. But what would it mean to operationalize AI within an open, human rights-centered framework, one that rethinks intellectual property regimes in service to the public good?
This panel explores how the principles of open science can guide the development, deployment, and governance of AI systems in ways that balance openness, attribution, transparency, reciprocity and collective benefit. Panelists will examine tensions between proprietary models and open approaches, addressing how intellectual property frameworks can both enable and constrain equitable participation. The discussion will consider how to ensure the right to participate in and benefit from AI without reinforcing inequalities or deepening existing power imbalances in the scientific community.
Speakers:
- Beatriz Busaniche, Fundaci¨®n V¨ªa Libre
- Justus Dreyling, Communia
- Claire McGuire, International Federation of Library Associations
- Chijioke Okorie, University of Pretoria
- Patrick Paul Walsh, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
Moderator:
- Megs Wacha, UN Dag Hammarskj?ld Library
