Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming core global infrastructure. On 6 and 7 July 2026, the United Nations will hold the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva (the world's first international platform convened by the UN General Assembly where all 193 Member States sit alongside private sector, civil society, and academia to address AI governance together).

And yet the leadership driving these processes remains narrow. Just seven countries, all from the developed world, are currently parties to all significant global AI governance initiatives, according to the United Nations. At the Paris AI Action Summit in February 2025, 62 countries and the African Union signed a declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI. The United States and the United Kingdom declined to sign.

This brief argues that AI governance is, at its core, a leadership challenge. Who shapes the norms, institutions, and values embedded in artificial intelligence is a question about power, inclusion, and accountability. The Maryam Forum Foundation calls for a new generation of inclusive, courageous leaders to claim a seat at the AI governance table — and for existing institutions to create the conditions that make this possible.