Press Release | AI Systems as Digital Public Goods Report
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UN ODET, UNU Macau, and ADB Release Report on AI as Digital Public Goods
New multi-stakeholder research finds openness alone is not enough
AI systems must demonstrate public value, accountability, safeguards, and local relevance to qualify as Digital Public Goods
New York, 25 June 2026 – The United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN ODET), in partnership with United Nations University Macau and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), today released AI Systems as Digital Public Goods: Evidence and Recommendations from a Multi-Stakeholder Assessment, launched during OSPO for Good Day at.
"The principles that underpin Digital Public Goods remain as relevant as ever, but their application must adapt to ensure that AI serves the public interest."
– Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies
As governments increasingly look to AI to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the report addresses a pressing governance question: what would it take for an AI system to qualify credibly as a Digital Public Good — an open digital solution that supports the SDGs, respects privacy, and is designed to do no harm?
The report finds that AI systems cannot be assessed like conventional open-source software. They depend on training data, model weights, compute infrastructure, deployment settings, and ongoing governance — each raising distinct questions about openness, safety, accountability, and equitable access. Despite major international commitments, including the Global Digital Compact's call to develop and maintain open AI models that benefit society as a whole, few AI systems have been formally recognized as a Digital Public Good under the existing standard.
Drawing on a desk review, key informant interviews, expert consultations, and a global survey spanning governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, and the UN system, the report identifies four key findings: openness in AI is multi-dimensional and not a single binary condition; openness does not automatically guarantee public benefit or SDG alignment; governance must be treated as a lifecycle process, not a one-time certification; and equity depends on enabling conditions including shared compute, local-language data, and institutional readiness — particularly in developing-country contexts.
"A digital public good is, above all, a commitment to future beneficiaries. We are not there yet, but this report lays out the conditions that would take us there."
– Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and United Nations Under-Secretary-General
The report advances ten recommendations under the SAFE framework — Standards, Accountability, Finance, and Equity — including adopting the Model Openness Framework as a shared reference for assessing openness, building governance support around the Digital Public Goods Alliance ecosystem, designing public-interest compute access strategies, and investing in local-language data and AI evaluation capabilities in developing countries.
"We hope this report will inform policy dialogue and support continued research and innovation in leveraging AIDPGs to address complex development challenges."
– Stephanie KC Hung, Director General of ADB's Information Technology Department, and Antonio G. Zaballos, Director of ADB's Digital Sector Office
The report contributes to the global AI governance architecture being built under the United Nations General Assembly, including the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and provides practical guidance for governments, funders, multilateral institutions, and standard-setting bodies.
About the Report
AI Systems as Digital Public Goods: Evidence and Recommendations from a Multi-Stakeholder Assessment was commissioned by the Asian Development Bank and produced by the United Nations University Institute in Macau in partnership with the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies.
Full report: AI Systems as Digital Public Goods: Evidence and Recommendations from a Multi-Stakeholder Assessment