Information Network Security Administration

The goal is to be recognized as a platform for truly meaningful, brutally honest, and impactful conversations. While many AI-related international and regional dialogues have taken place—some of which I have participated in and others I have observed—they often fall into a recurring pattern. These events tend to attract participants who are able to speak without having direct responsibility or stake in AI or its outcomes in any way whatsoever. As a result, these platforms can become repetitive: the same voices address the same topics, reaffirm the need for multi-stakeholder engagement, and conclude by agreeing to reconvene in the future—often with little tangible progress beyond formalities and networking opportunities. A more effective approach is straightforward: the right dialogue starts with collecting the right people. Invitation is a strategic task, not a routine one. The selection of participants should be strategically thought about, intentional, ensuring that individuals and organizations with direct relevance, responsibility, or impact are actively identified and invited. Invitations should be aimed at bringing in those who are truly concerned and capable of contributing meaningfully to the discussion. Moreover, policy discussions frequently suffer from a technical disconnect; therefore, the people and organizations building these systems must have a seat at the table. Bridging the gap between the boardroom and the server room is the only way to ensure that AI regulations are grounded in the functional realities of deployment.

• AI capacity-building
• Open-source software, open data and open AI models
• Protection and promotion of human rights

AI capacity building, the protection of human rights, and open access, in my view, form the bedrock upon which all other AI complexities must be addressed. Capacity, in particular, is the non-negotiable prerequisite; without it, national strategies will face difficulty at both the policy and technical levels. A deficit in technical capacity ensures that project identification and execution will remain inefficient, ultimately depleting national resources without achieving digital sovereignty. The protection of human rights must be a core mandate for all AI developers, ensuring that innovation never comes at the cost of individual dignity or digital privacy. To support this, AI technologies should be open-sourced strategically; this approach prevents the dangers of proprietary 'black boxes' and vendor lock-in, instead fostering a transparent ecosystem where local experts can audit, adapt, and scale solutions that truly serve their own communities. By securing these foundations, we transition from being passive consumers of technology to becoming the strategic architects of our own digital destiny.

Yes. Although I have a master's degree in AI, my role as the leader of the Emerging Technologies Division within the Ethiopian government requires me to work across areas such as blockchain and quantum computing, alongside my core background in AI. This experience has shown me that emerging technologies are deeply interconnected-blockchain can enhance trust in AI systems, while quantum computing may accelerate their capabilities. There is a huge imbalance of capacity and flow of students towards AI, leaving aside the parallelly developing technologies that might potentially be inseparable in the future. This raises a critical question: how do other emerging technologies shape the future and governance of AI? Addressing this intersection is key to making initiatives like the Global Dialogue on AI Governance more impactful and forward-looking.

I lead the Emerging Technologies Division for the Ethiopian government, working across AI, blockchain, and quantum computing. A key governance gap in Ethiopia is the mismatch between strong digital ambitions and limited foundational capacity. Despite a large number of STEM graduates, there is a shortage of deep, practical expertise in AI and related fields—across technical professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders. Capacity is often surface-level, with limited engagement in research or real-world problem-solving. In some areas, such as quantum computing, the ecosystem is extremely small. This is driven by limited research funding, weak mentorship, misaligned policy direction, and low market demand for advanced innovation. At the same time, there are significant opportunities. National initiatives like the 5 Million Coders program, a comprehensive digital strategy, and strong political commitment to digital transformation provide a solid foundation. If aligned effectively, these can help build deeper expertise, strengthen governance, and enable Ethiopia to emerge as a regional leader in responsible and inclusive emerging technologies.

Be a platform for brutally honest AI discussion via an intentionally enforced culture, a platform for both policy makers and technical people, showcase opportunities such as research grants, projects, summer school, fellowship opportunities, for real collaboration, bring together diplomats to enage countries, etc

There are a number of initiatives across the world; they can be googled. But I recommend that this AI Dialogue can become a unique platform for the real stakeholders to come together and have a meaningful dialogue, and beyond. Similar platforms that aim to do the same have become repetitive: the same voices address the same topics, reaffirm the need for multi-stakeholder engagement, and conclude by agreeing to reconvene in the future.

Different stakeholders can contribute by sharing their perspectives, experiences, governance organs, and approaches. Different types of formats to be considered: debates, lectures, presentations, etc. The structure can mature going forward, but for that, it should stay open and invest resources in getting better.

I can't say for sure but we should make AI aligned with all human rights, so calling human rights people might be a shortcut to address these people if you find it difficult to identify them.

Try a party with a dark room or masked event where no one will be allowed to have any electronic device, no camera, no phones, ... have a conversation about a topic. Hopefully, now, we get to listen to brutally honest conversations and ideas. Diversity should not just be among many people, but different ideas from the same person.

The 5 Million coders program is an initiative by the Ethiopian Government to address national literacy in AI and other new technologies. It's 5 million certifiable courses bought by the government. This initiative will enhance the capacity of policy makers, prospective students, and all.