Acolad joined a week of discussion on responsible AI in Geneva, with one point to make: technology only reaches the people who can understand it.

The future of AI isn't only being shaped by technology, but also by the people, organizations, and ideas working to make it more accessible and inclusive. That dialogue came to the fore at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, a week of sessions spanning AI and governance, healthcare, cybersecurity, robotics, and humanitarian innovation, delivered by high-profile speakers, including will.i.am, Sam Altman, and Yuval Noah Harari.

Acolad attended not simply to showcase our AI-powered language solutions, but to ensure language has a place in discussions that are helping shape the future of responsible and inclusive AI.

Several sessions looked at how AI is widening participation: sign language translation for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, AI-assisted Easy Read formats for people with intellectual disabilities, and faster information delivery during humanitarian crises.

The point running through them was that reach and access are different things. A system can deliver information to millions and still leave out anyone who does not read the language it was published in, or who receives it after the moment it was useful.

For organizations operating across borders, that is a practical constraint. Language decides who can follow a safety instruction, respond to a consultation, or take part in a live discussion.

Acolad met organizations working in public sector, humanitarian, and international development contexts, and demonstrated Lia Live and Lia Go, our real-time multilingual communication solutions.

Most of those conversations started with a coverage or turnaround problem rather than a technology question, and came back to the theme raised throughout the Summit: how AI is governed. In language services, that means clarity on which work is AI-assisted, which is delivered or reviewed by qualified linguists and interpreters, how content and session data are handled, and who is accountable for quality when the stakes are high.

Whether enabling multilingual communication in real time through Lia Live or helping organizations communicate accurately and effectively across languages, our solutions are helping make global collaboration more accessible. The future of AI will depend not only on what technology can do, but on how successfully it connects people and language will always be a part of that equation.

The AI for Good Global Summit is a United Nations platform focused on AI solutions that address global challenges responsibly and inclusively. It is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with more than 50 UN organizations and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland. This year's program also included the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance.