Nowadays, we are witnessing the tremendous changes brought by AI technologies. What role can standards play in this process? How can we build global trust and enable responsible innovation?
To discuss these issues and find solutions, the International Forum on Standardization of Artificial Intelligence was held in July in Shanghai during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2025 (WAIC 2025), which gathered guests and experts from international organizations, government, academia, industry and research institutes. The event aims to discuss how to build global solidarity in the AI era, and how to leverage the role of standards, in particular international standards, to prevent risks and promote innovation and the sustainable development of AI.
The SPOTLIGHT column presents a series of reports on the Forum including highlights of global experts’ speeches. “AI standards developed jointly by ISO and IEC, help build global trust and enable responsible innovation by bringing clarity and coherence to an ever-changing AI landscape... By focusing on interoperability, transparency and safety, international standards create a universal language around AI—one that promotes trust, supports responsible governance and allows innovation to flourish across borders,” said Dr. Sung Hwan Cho, ISO President in his speech.
Another big event is the 2025 Qingdao Forum on International Standardization held in July in Qingdao, which is a biennial, high-level event for international standardization since 2017, and creates a platform for high-end international communication and exchanges. The Forum set up 5 sub-forums with the following themes: capacity building and creating leadership in standardization, standardization of new energy and DC persified applications, new infrastructure construction in airspace with standards as the foundation—driving the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy through standardization, the “AI + standardization” action cultivating future industries, as well as standardized approaches empowering industrial green and low-carbon transformation.
“The IEC has been impacting global development for over 100 years since its inception. In each wave of technological innovation, IEC has played a crucial role behind the scenes in bringing technological advancements to the world safety. From the early adoption of electricity in homes to the next generation AI applications, we ensure new technologies are implemented safely and efficiently worldwide. Today, as we face a new era defined by digital transformation, clean energy and sustainability, the IEC’s mission becomes increasingly vital,” said Jo Cops, IEC President in his speech.
“The ISO’s vision is to make people’s life easier, safer, and better. That is why our whole strategy is fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on that regard. We strongly believe that through international standards, we can accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. It is only five years left, so we have to implement our global commitment of around 200 countries to improve the quality of people’s life,” said Sergio Mujica, ISO Secretary-General at the Forum.
You may find more details in the SPECIAL REPORT column. Enjoy the reading!
