AI Infrastructure Governance Symposium, Ljubljana 2026

The AI Infrastructure Governance Symposium, organized by IRCAI, brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore the governance challenges emerging from the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure and its implications for sustainable development.

The symposium will present results from a new European Union–Latin America and Caribbean (EU–LAC) collaboration focused on aligning artificial intelligence, high-performance computing (HPC), data centres, and digital infrastructure with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A key outcome of this collaboration is the development of advanced AI-enabled visualizations that analyse the impact of AI and data-centre infrastructure on SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). These tools integrate technical indicators, policy intelligence, scientific evidence, and media tracking to identify environmental, regulatory, geopolitical, and cybersecurity risks associated with AI infrastructure expansion. The initiative contributes to the development of internationally interoperable governance standards and best practices supporting sustainable, resilient, and sovereign AI ecosystems aligned with SDGs 7, 9, 12, and 13.

The symposium will also examine the growing relationship between AI infrastructure and urban development through the lens of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). As hyperscale AI data centres increasingly shape energy systems, environmental sustainability, and urban planning, cities face new governance challenges comparable to the historical influence of ports on industrial development. Drawing on international examples and emerging initiatives, the discussion will introduce the concept of the AI infrastructure–city relationship and explore how responsible AI governance can support digital sovereignty, human rights, social inclusion, environmental responsibility, and urban resilience.