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
103 OCT-DEC 2024