The United Nations created a dedicated body to aligning national AI governance rules across 193 member states.

On May 28, the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) launched the AI Governance for Humanity Lab in Valencia, Spain. The UN established the Lab in response to a potential governance gap in which countries are developing AI rules independently, with no common standards or coordination. The Lab brings together governments, companies, researchers, and civil society to compare national AI rules and develop approaches to international coordination. It operates within the broader AI directives established by the UN General Assembly last year, which include the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, a policy forum for all 193 member states, and the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which provides evidence-based assessments of AI risks and opportunities.

Two projects are currently underway. The first will produce a white paper mapping how national and regional AI governance rules compare, where they align and where they conflict, and policy options for member states on how to coordinate. The second will produce an insights report on how companies are implementing AI governance in practice, covering transparency, accountability, and safety.

Both are due before the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, July 6–7 in Geneva.