Digital sovereignty in the AI era cannot be realized through isolation or full-stack self-sufficiency. The cost of compute, hardware, and sovereign AI architectures makes it structurally impossible to own and control every layer of the stack independently. True digital agency instead comes through strategic partnership: shared open-source architectures, joint compute models, and standardized data protocols.
This session brings together leaders to explore how middle powers can collaborate to avoid vendor lock-in and build a resilient, open tech stack, from scaling shared protocols like X-Road and MOSIP to pooled financing that mutualizes infrastructure costs. The panel will also weigh which multilateral forum (UN, G20, or G7) is best positioned to host ongoing technical governance and collaborative infrastructure development.
Panelists:
Vidisha Mishra, Director of Global Outreach and Policy at Global Solutions Initiative (moderator)
Liv Marte Nordhaug, CEO of the Digital Public Goods Alliance
Mitchell Baker, Co-Founder of the Mozilla Project
Paul Samson, President of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)
