Addressing the AI Skills Gap | Fred Werner, ITU I Live at IndianAI Impact Summit’26

Can the Global South shape the future of AI?

Recorded live at the India AI Impact Summit, this special edition of Regulating AI – Voices of Impact features Sanjay Puri in conversation with Fred Werner, Chief of Strategy & Operations at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

From ITU’s global AI for Good initiatives to the rise of generative AI and AI agents, Fred breaks down why the Global South must play a central role in AI governance — not just participate, but lead.

In this episode:

• Why the AI Impact Summit India matters
• The evolution from ML to Generative AI to AI Agents
• Sovereign AI & open-source debates
• AI’s impact on jobs and women in developing economies
• Why closing the AI skills gap is the world’s top priority

“AI is too important to leave to the experts.”

If you’re a policymaker, AI founder, regulator, or global business leader, this conversation is essential.
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In This Episode

• 0:00 AI needs global collaboration
• 0:31 Intro and AI for Good overview
• 1:25 Purpose of AI impact summit
• 3:14 Evolution of AI focus (safety → impact)
• 5:20 AI as global priority
• 7:08 AI skills and education gap
• 8:01 Sovereign AI and local innovation
• 11:20 AI impact on jobs
• 12:40 Risks for employment and inequality
• 15:09 Open source vs risks
• 16:44 Advice to global leaders