What is the Summit about?
Day 1 of ECOSYSTEM Barcelona, AI4D 2026 focuses on responsible and practical AI for development, humanitarian action, NGOs, donors, public-good innovation, and impact. The program emphasizes real-world use cases, implementation lessons, governance, and partnerships.
Topics will include:
- Responsible and practical AI for development: exploring real-world uses of AI in development, humanitarian action, NGOs, donors, and public-good innovation.
- Advanced solutions for development delivery: examining how AI can improve development finance, transparency, implementation, and public value.
- AI adoption and change management in NGOs: discussing capacity, organizational readiness, and practical pathways for responsible adoption.
- Donor strategies for responsible AI in development: exploring how bilateral and multilateral actors are shaping AI governance, funding, and implementation approaches.
- Evidence, evaluation, and investment workflows: looking at AI-enabled decision workflows, evaluation frameworks, and pathways from pilots to evidence.
- Responsible AI, ethics, governance, and local realities: addressing power, incentives, accountability, and the missing local layer in development decisions.
What to expect
The preliminary agenda is subject to change and includes plenary sessions, panels, breakout sessions, closed-door sessions, and networking.
- Practical sessions focused on implementation, governance, partnerships, and real-world AI adoption.
- Keynotes and panels featuring leaders from international organizations, donors, technology organizations, NGOs, and research institutions.
- Breakout sessions covering NGO adoption, donor strategy, AI-enabled workflows, agriculture, investment, ethics, and local decision-making.
- Networking opportunities throughout the day, ending with rooftop cocktails and networking.