As the boundaries of AI and policy continue to expand, October 2025 explored how governments, institutions, and researchers are translating principles into practice. From the Data for Policy 2025 Asia-Pacific Conference in Shanghai to new policy frameworks emerging across Europe, the United States, and Asia, October stands out as a month defined by collaboration, accountability, and the global governance of intelligent systems.
Hosted by the SRIIAS, Tongji University, the Data for Policy 2025 Asia-Pacific Conference (23–24 October) brought together 100 participants across academia, and industry to explore responsible AI development, governance, and ethics. Keynotes by Prof Jon Crowcroft (University of Cambridge) and Prof Huiling Jiang (Tongji University) examined human–AI collaboration and evolving ethical frameworks for AI governance. The conference also introduced The Digital Statecraft Academy, an initiative designed to build global capacity in digital governance and equip leaders to manage algorithmic systems responsibly.
With a strong focus on regional cooperation, cultural context, and evidence-based policymaking, the event showcased the Asia-Pacific region’s contributions to shaping inclusive and human-centred AI futures. The Book of Abstracts is now available on Zenodo, and video presentations can be viewed on the Data for Policy YouTube channel.
Host the Next Data for Policy Conference: Following the success of the Shanghai edition, Data for Policy CIC, in collaboration with Cambridge University Press, has opened a Call for Expressions of Interest for institutions seeking to host a future Data for Policy conference. This opportunity enables universities and research organisations to convene global policymakers, academics, and innovators around regional and thematic priorities in data-driven policymaking. Institutions can express interest by contacting team@dataforpolicy.org.
Fireside Chat: Data for the Sustainable Development Goals: In October’s Fireside Chat, experts explored how data informs progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Chaired by Sherman Kong, the discussion featured Prof Gaby Umbach, Mira Tiwari, and Prof Igor Tkalec, who examined the ethical and political complexities of SDG indicators, the contextualisation of global benchmarks, and the integration of traditional and non-traditional data sources to drive inclusive and actionable policymaking.
The Digital Statecraft Manifesto v1.0: The newly launched Digital Statecraft Manifesto v1.0 sets out ten guiding principles for governance in the algorithmic age—urging institutions to evolve dynamically and prioritise democratic legitimacy, human agency, and ethical accountability. As a living document, it invites contributions from academics, policymakers, and practitioners to shape a shared vision for digital governance that is adaptive, inclusive, and human-centred.
On Our Radar: Global Policy and Governance Developments
In the United States, OpenAI urged the White House to prioritise AI infrastructure, workforce training, and energy capacity to sustain innovation leadership. Across the European Union, the European Commission launched twin strategies “Apply AI” and “AI in Science” to accelerate AI adoption in both research and industry. The new Apply AI Alliance was also introduced to foster collaboration among policymakers, businesses, and researchers. In the UK, the government advanced its AI Growth Lab consultation, expanded the Building Digital UK initiative within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and strengthened international cooperation with Singapore to standardise cybersecurity protocols. Elsewhere, Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez convened world leaders at the Open Government Partnership Summit to defend democracy amid rising digital threats, while the United Arab Emirates became the first country to announce a national AI policy for elections.
Across Asia, China’s AI adoption surpassed 515 million users, marking rapid digital transformation. Indonesia announced plans to deploy agentic AI for smarter policy analysis, and Taiwan projected economic growth above 3% for 2026, driven by its booming AI sector. The EU’s Horizon Europe research programme expanded to include Egypt, and funding was renewed for 83 European Digital Innovation Hubs under the EU’s “AI-First” agenda.
Corporate Innovation and Industry Impact
Leading AI companies continued to define the frontier. OpenAI detailed its plans for UK-based sovereign AI infrastructure and expanded the Stargate initiative with Samsung and SK Group. Anthropic launched Claude for Life Sciences, an AI model targeting biotech and healthcare applications, while Google unveiled a tool capable of identifying genetic drivers of cancer. In regulatory developments, California became the first U.S. state to regulate AI companion chatbots, establishing an early framework for emerging technology oversight. Salesforce faced a lawsuit over its AI software, highlighting the growing legal scrutiny surrounding generative AI deployments.
Key Reports and Frameworks
Several major publications helped define the policy agenda this month. The OECD released Mapping Relevant Data Collection Mechanisms for AI Training, outlining how AI systems gather data and the implications for privacy and governance. The World Economic Forum’s Shaping the AI Sandbox Ecosystem report explored how regulatory sandboxes can enable safe innovation, while the Oxford Internet Institute’s comparative study reviewed global frameworks for managing frontier AI risks. UNCTAD urged developing nations to invest in data infrastructure and digital skills to participate in the global AI economy, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) stressed the role of global AI standards in promoting trust across healthcare, energy, and mobility sectors.
Together, these reports underscore a growing consensus: AI governance must balance innovation with ethical safeguards and inclusivity.
Research and Academic Insights
October’s scholarly output continued to expand the evidence base for responsible AI policymaking. Studies introduced new methodologies for assessing political bias in large language models, evaluated the impact of AI systems on democracy, and cautioned against the brittleness of multimodal AI models in medical applications. Other research proposed a Holistic Agent Leaderboard for better AI evaluation and examined global adoption trends of generative AI, revealing uneven access and capability gaps. Further contributions addressed human-centred AI, frameworks for ethical system design, and the role of AI in sustainable urban planning through hybrid predictive models.
Thought Leadership and Expert Commentary
Leading thinkers and institutions continued to shape global discourse through blogs and essays. A WEF blog piece warned of growing disparities in AI governance and called for enforceable accountability mechanisms. The OECD AI blog emphasised transparency and standardised reporting through the HAIP Framework, while the Techplomacy Foundation underscored cross-sector partnerships as vital for AI readiness. A notable contribution from Prof Stefaan Verhulst proposed an evolution of the traditional FAIR data principles into FAIR-R and FAIR², ensuring data is AI-ready, ethically grounded, and purpose-driven. The LSE Impact Blog and Imperial College Policy Forum explored how research integrity and public-sector innovation can be safeguarded as AI systems become embedded in governance.
Events and Opportunities
Key upcoming gatherings include the Global DPI Summit in Cape Town, and the ILPC Annual Conference on AI regulation in London. Opportunities for engagement include the Civil Service AI & Data Challenge, the Data Stewards Bootcamp in Brussels, and the AI Impact India Call for Proposals under the IndiaAI Mission.
October’s developments highlight the accelerating pace of AI innovation—matched by an equally rapid evolution in governance and accountability frameworks. From new national policies and international partnerships to cutting-edge research and ethical debate, the global AI policy ecosystem continues to mature, signalling a collective drive toward transparent, responsible, and inclusive digital governance. To read the full October 2025 newsletter, click here.
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