Staff Correspondent

Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faqir Mahbub Anam has called for building trust, institutional capacity, and international cooperation to guide the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in public governance.

"Today's digital divide must not become tomorrow's AI divide. That is our commitment," he declared while delivering the opening address on behalf of twelve participating nations at the two-day Inter-Regional Conference titled 'AI Governance in Practice: Practical Use Cases, Institutional Capacity, Innovation at Scale and Global Cooperation' in Istanbul, Türkiye on Tuesday.

The conference, running from October 6 to 7, is jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Astana Civil Service Hub, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Republic of Türkiye.

Addressing the forum, the Minister emphasized that AI is no longer a distant technology but an active reality reshaping public decision-making, development, and service delivery. He noted that the real question is not simply how fast nations can adopt AI, but how wisely, responsibly, and inclusively they can govern it.

He  outlined three primary pillars for effective AI governance: trust, capacity, and cooperation. He stressed that public sector AI must remain responsible, transparent, accountable, and human-centered, while technological adoption must be supported by skilled personnel, capable institutions, sound data governance, and timely legal frameworks. 

Ministers, senior government officials, and representatives from UNDP and international development agencies across the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region are attending the conference.