2025 UN STI Forum "Data + AI" Side Event Successfully Held, WDTA Drives Data-Enabled AI Industry Development

2025-05-09 20:12:24

New York, May 8, 2025 — The tenth annual United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (UN STI Forum) was grandly convened at the UN Headquarters in New York. Distinguished guests, including H.E. Philemon Yang, President of the UN General Assembly, WDTA Advisor, and former Prime Minister of Cameroon; H.E. Bob Rae, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and former Canadian political leader; UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed; and UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, delivered opening remarks and keynote speeches.

As one of the key side events of the 2025 UN STI Forum, the “Data + AI: Driving Sustainable Industrial Growth” session was co-hosted by the World Digital Technology Academy (WDTA) and the Cloud Security Alliance Greater China Region (CSA GCR), focusing on how data and AI technologies can advance global industrial sustainability.

Data Intelligence Empowers Global Development

In his opening address, Peter Major, Executive Chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) and Founding Chairman of WDTA, emphasized: “Data and AI are redefining the rules of the global economy. We must prioritize inclusive smart policies, capacity-building in the Global South, and bold investments to translate technological potential into shared prosperity. This is the mission of the UN Multi-Stakeholder Working Group on Data Governance and the responsibility of WDTA as an innovation leader in the digital era.”

Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Chair of the UN CSTD and Vice Chair of the WDTA Education Council, shared a success story of AI applications in African agriculture during his keynote: *“In Kenya, an AI-driven agricultural platform has helped over 500,000 farmers achieve a 20% increase in yield. This proves that technological innovation can tangibly drive sustainable development.”* He stressed that data and AI are not merely tools but catalysts for equitable and sustainable industrial growth, urging Global South nations to actively co-create solutions.

Yale Li, Executive Chairman of WDTA, analyzed two evolutionary paths of AI: “Task-specific AI Agents are better suited for consumer-facing scenarios (ToC), while Agentic AI — capable of end-to-end process transformation — will become the core driver for enterprise digitalization (ToB).” He highlighted China’s progress under its “Data Factor ×” strategy, with over 100 trusted data space pilot projects deployed in manufacturing, healthcare, and other key sectors. For instance, the Yangtze River Delta Industrial Data Space project has significantly improved supply chain efficiency. “By 2030, data factors will become foundational to the national economy, much like electricity,” Li stated. “Industrial competition is shifting to a new paradigm driven by data capabilities. WDTA will build a global data collaboration ecosystem to provide systemic digital transformation solutions for all nations.”

WDTA Launches Y.CAIO Youth Digital Leadership Forum

Responding to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call that “the future of digital technology belongs to youth,” Dr. Melan Xu, Executive Director of WDTA, announced the inaugural Y.CAIO Youth Digital Leadership Forum, co-hosted with the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) in July 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

As a follow-up to the STI Forum, the Y.CAIO Forum will gather youth representatives from 100 countries to collaborate with UN agencies, multinational corporations, and leading laboratories. A research report on youth digital capacity development will be released, and the Y.CAIO Global Youth Digital Leadership Program will be launched. Academician Yale Li remarked: “We are transitioning from ‘digital transformation’ to ‘constructing digital civilization.’ Youth need not just coding skills but strategic leadership grounded in ethical technology. WDTA offers a professional platform to empower the next generation with resources, networks, and funding.”

Innovation and Secure Governance

Lars Nagel, CEO of the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA), shared Europe’s experience in building data spaces, showcasing over 180 cross-border cases. He demonstrated how sovereign data-sharing models in healthcare, agriculture, and supply chains have improved AI model efficiency by 300%.

In a panel discussion, Ken Huang, Vice President of Research at CSA GCR, analyzed security challenges in Agentic AI: “Our MAESTRO framework incorporates a 7-layer security architecture to address unique threats in agent communication. When evaluating Google’s A2A protocol, we uncovered intriguing vulnerabilities.” Chris Hughes, CEO of Aquia, added: “Agentic AI demands a novel zero-trust approach. We must move beyond traditional perimeter security and implement dynamic, mission-based access controls with minimal privileges.”

The success of the UN STI Forum’s “Data + AI” side event underscored the critical role of global collaboration in advancing industrial digital transformation. WDTA will continue to bridge innovation and industry application, injecting new momentum into sustainable development worldwide.