AI Impact Summit 2026

Event |

Date: 16 – 20 February, 2026

Location: India, New Delhi

CIPESA will participate at the India AI Impact Summit which is one of the largest gatherings on AI in the global South. It happens at a time when conversations on artificial intelligence are increasingly focused on the impact of AI on live hoods, civic participation and democracy. We look forward to sharing insights from the landmark 2025 edition of the State of Internet Freedom in Africa report  which focused on the Implications of AI on Digital Democracy in Africa.

Our research on AI governance in Africa spans its impact on areas such as data protection, algorithmic accountability, disinformation, digital trade, and the political economy of AI. As global norms on AI take shape, we will advance the case for rights-respecting frameworks that center African realities, strengthen democratic oversight, and ensure that AI systems deployed across the continent.

Here are some of sessions you will find us at or drop us an email at [email protected] to schedule a meetup:

Learning Forum (Closed Door)| Host: Center for Communication Governance, National Law University Delhi & Global Network Initiative

February 16, 2026 | 10:00-18:30 (IST)

Data Governance at the Intersection of Digital Public Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence | Host: Tech Global Institute and  the Government of Brazil 

Date: February 17, 2026 | 13:30 – 14:25 pm (IST)

Multistakeholder Approaches to Participation in AI Governance (MAP-AI) | Global Network Initiative (GNI) and the Centre for Communication Governance (CCG)

Date: February 17, 2026 | 09:00 – 18:00 (IST) 

Roundtable on AI Governance from the South: from redlines to baselines | Host: Global Digital Justice Forum (GDJF) 

Date: February 18, 2026 | 09:00 – 15:00 (IST)

Platform Governance & AI: Global Majority Perspectives! | Host: SFLC.in and Global Partners Digital (GPD)

Date: February 18, 2026 | 13:30 – 17:30 (IST)

CIPESA @Africa BitCoin Conference

Update |

Every year, the event brings together activists, innovators, and decision-makers to explore how Bitcoin safeguards fundamental freedoms, strengthens economic autonomy, and paves the way for lasting sovereignty. The event is taking place between December 3-5, 2025, at Caudan Arts Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius.

Click here for information on the event.

African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) Summit 2025 

Update |

This year, the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) is holding its first Summit in the context of its new 10-year Strategic Plan (2025-2035), Nairobi, Kenya. The three-day Summit themed ‘A Renewed AERC for Africa’s New Development Priorities’, is designed to hardwire the research-policy bridge.

This event is taking place from November 30 to December 02, 2025. For more information, click here.

Uganda Data Governance Capacity Building Workshop

Event |

The AU-NEPAD and GIZ in collaboration with CIPESA are pleased to convene this three-day capacity-building and stakeholder engagement workshop to support the Government of Uganda in its data governance journey.

The three-day workshop will focus on providing insights into data governance and the transformative potential of data to drive equitable socio-economic development, empower citizens, safeguard collective interests, and protect digital rights in Uganda. This will include aspects on foundational infrastructure, data value creation and markets, legitimate and trustworthy data systems, data standards and categorisation, and data governance mechanisms.

Participants will critically evaluate regulatory approaches, institutional frameworks, and capacity-building strategies necessary to harnessing the power of data for socio-economic transformation and regional integration, in line with the African Union Data Policy Framework.

The workshop will take place from November 19th to 21st, 2025.