Page 103 - SAMENA Trends - October-December 2024
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REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES  SAMENA TRENDS

        New  Global  Agreements on AI, Metaverse  and Sustainability  at Key  ITU

        Standards Conference


                                                                                 ITU's membership, including 194 Member
                                                                                 States and over 1000 member companies,
                                                                                 universities, and international and regional
                                                                                 organizations.  India's  Prime  Minister,  the
                                                                                 Honorable  Narendra Modi, inaugurated
                                                                                 WTSA-24 on 15 October with an emphasis
                                                                                 on the importance of universal connectivity,
                                                                                 ethical  AI, consensus  decisions,  and
                                                                                 meaningful  digital  inclusion. Prior  to  the
                                                                                 main conference,  ITU's Global Standards
                                                                                 Symposium  (GSS-24) and celebrations
                                                                                 with partners of World Standards Day
                                                                                 on 14  October  explored innovation and
                                                                                 standards to propel sustainable AI, smart
                                                                                 cities, virtual worlds, and more. The opening
                                                                                 week  also  featured  the  first  International
                                                                                 AI Standards Summit, organized by
                                                                                 the leading developers  of international
                                                                                 standards,  ITU,  the   International
        Members of the International Telecommu-  The new WTSA Resolutions all emphasize   Organization for  Standardization (ISO),
        nication Union (ITU) have agreed on prior-  support for developing  countries. The   and the International Electrotechnical
        ities for standards and capacity develop-  decisions direct ITU to prioritize:  Commission (IEC).  The new  summit
        ment  in  areas  from  artificial  intelligence   “ITU standards and capacity development   finished  with  AI  for  Good  Impact  India,
        (AI)  and  the metaverse to  sustainable   must create the foundation for the   kicking off a new series of regional AI for
        digital transformation at  the World Tele-  digital  future we  want,” said  Seizo Onoe,   Good events.
        communication Standardization Assembly   Director  of the ITU Telecommunication   Other  high-profile  special  events  during
        (WTSA-24) which closed in New Delhi, In-  Standardization Bureau. “My top priorities   WTSA-24  raised awareness in  India  and
        dia. The conference reviewed and modified   are  impactful standards  and  the strong   globally about  how ITU standards can
        existing  guidance  and agreed  eight  new   industry  engagement  and support  to   ensure new technologies  are a force  for
        resolutions  reinforcing  the organization's   developing  countries that create this   good.
        standards work to meet  fast-evolving   impact. The  decisions of WTSA highlight   •  Responsible,  safe, and inclusive AI,
        global needs. “The outcomes of WTSA-24   ITU membership's commitment to these   including  collaboration  via  the AI  for
        remind us  that  humanity has  one Earth,   goals.”  All decisions of the  conference   Good platform;
        one human family and one shared digital   are publicly available in the WTSA-24   •  Trusted,  inclusive and interoperable
        future,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen   Proceedings.“As  we  look  ahead to  the   metaverse applications;
        Bogdan-Martin. “Together with the global   future, I am confident that the resolutions   •  Sustainable  digital  transformation
        standards community, ITU is committed to   that we have developed  will  pave the   across  multiple  industries  and
        ensuring that our digital future is techni-  way  for  groundbreaking innovations,   technologies;
        cally strong, with innovation, inclusion and   sustainable  growth  and  greater  •  Technical requirements for digital public
        sustainability at its core.” “What was seen   connectivity worldwide,” said Ritu Ranjan   infrastructure;
        as  a  form  of communication  has  today   Mittar, Chair of WTSA-24. “It is said that the   •  Communication  technologies  for
        become the highway on which the future   march of technology will always continue,   vehicle-to-everything,  intelligent
        of not only our  countries,  but the future   and it is the collective responsibility of all   transport  systems, and automated
        of humanity in  the next decades will  be   of us that standards and standardizations   driving;
        building,”  said  India’s  Minister  of Com-  keep pace with it.” WTSA is the governing   •  Caller-location  information  from
        munications,  Jyotiraditya  Scindia.  “Over   conference  for  ITU's  standardization   mobile  phones  to support  emergency
        the past  10  days  we  have  embarked on   work. The conference set out the strategy,   communications;
        an extraordinary odyssey.  One that has   structure and working  methods  of ITU's   •  Preparing  students  and  young
        not only allowed us to envision a radiant   standardization arm (ITU-T). Two expert   professionals as the next generation of
        digital future but also empower us in order   groups were consolidated to create the new   ITU standards experts;
        to be able to sculpt for the future, for rich   ITU-T Study Group 21 on technologies for   •  Continual improvement and evolution to
        dialogues, audacious ideas, and transfor-  multimedia, content delivery, and cable TV.   meet new policy objectives and market
        mation partnerships.” Accelerated support   ITU's standardization work is driven by the   demand.
        for high-priority standards work     contributions and consensus decisions of

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