APrIGF Urges Human Accountability for AI

Artificial intelligence must never become the final holder of accountability; responsibility for AI-driven decisions must remain with an identifiable person or institution. This was one of the strongest messages at the opening of the 17th Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum, APrIGF 2026, alongside a call to strengthen internet infrastructure, digital rights, cybersecurity, disaster communications and AI accountability before a crisis occurs.

APrIGF 2026 began on Monday, October 5, 2026, at Royal Tulip Kathmandu in Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal. The event is being held from October 4 to 7, with October 4 serving as a pre-engagement and capacity-building day and October 5-7 as the main conference. The forum is being conducted in a hybrid format, bringing together participants on site, through local hubs and online.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Nepal’s Chief Justice Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma said, “If the internet can withstand disruption, justice can also withstand disruption.”

He said that during a crisis, the internet is not merely a means of communication. It is critical infrastructure for access to justice, public services, disaster response, civil rights and democratic participation. Weak internet systems therefore put justice and state services at risk.

Referring to the loss of court records during last year’s unrest in Nepal and the isolation of an entire district during this year’s floods, the Chief Justice said, “If the justice system depends only on physical infrastructure, the rule of law becomes vulnerable.”

On artificial intelligence, he said, “Accountability must always rest with an identifiable person or institution, never with a machine.”

Radio Nepal reported that Chief Justice Sharma also called for advanced assessment of risks arising from internet disruptions and effective strategies to address them. He stressed that resilient internet and digital infrastructure are essential to protect people, their rights and institutions as access to public services increasingly depends on reliable and secure digital systems.

Held under the theme “Safeguarding a Resilient Internet in Times of Crisis”, APrIGF 2026 is taking place from October 4 to 7. The official programme scheduled the opening ceremony and opening plenary from 9:00am to 10:45am on October 5.

The opening programme included a ceremonial lamp lighting, a welcome address from the local host and remarks from regional and global internet governance leaders. Rupesh Shrestha, Managing Director of Nepal Internet Exchange (NPIX), delivered the welcome address. Amrita Choudhury, Chair of the APrIGF Multistakeholder Steering Group, delivered the opening remarks. Jennifer Chung, Chair of the UN Internet Governance Forum Multistakeholder Advisory Group, also spoke. Nepal’s Chief Justice Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma attended as the chief guest, while Babu Ram Aryal, Chair of the Host Steering Committee, led the local host proceedings.

Chief Justice Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma (front, center) inaugurating the 17th Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF), 5 October 2026.

The opening plenary, titled “Safeguarding Resilient Internet in Times of Crisis”, followed the inaugural ceremony. It was moderated by Dr Bhoj Raj Ghimire, Co-Convenor of the APrIGF Program Committee. Speakers included Subhash Dhakal, Joint Secretary at Nepal’s Information Technology and Digital Governance Office; Nuwan Waidyanatha, Senior Research Fellow at LIRNEasia; Rukamanee Maharjan, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, Tribhuvan University; Tahani Iqbal, Digital Development Specialist at the Asian Development Bank; and Ruzan Sarwar, Public Policy Manager at Meta.

Babu Ram Aryal, Chair of the Host Steering Committee, said, “Resilience cannot be created during a crisis. It must be built before the crisis.”

Jennifer Chung, Chair of the UN IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group, called for local and regional experiences to be connected with the global IGF process.

Amrita Choudhury, Chair of the APrIGF Multistakeholder Steering Group, said cooperation, dialogue and diverse voices are essential to address emerging technology risks, digital inequality and online safety.

According to the event information, 130 participants from the Asia-Pacific region and 150 participants from Nepal joined the forum on site. Participants are also taking part through 11 remote hubs and online platforms. The forum has also selected 38 fellows from 17 economies from a total of 173 applications.

APrIGF 2026 is hosted by the Internet Governance Institute of Nepal, with the Internet Society Nepal Chapter and Internet Exchange Nepal as co-hosts. The forum is being held in a hybrid format, allowing participation from around the world.

This year’s forum features 29 selected sessions from 105 proposals. The official APrIGF programme also confirms that 29 sessions were selected from the 105 proposals evaluated by the Program Committee.

The sessions cover submarine cable disruptions, internet shutdowns, disaster alerts, AI bias, children’s online safety, digital identity and electoral integrity. The scope shows how internet governance has moved beyond network management to encompass human rights, public safety, democracy, responsible technology use and public services.

One major session focuses on AI bias, misinformation and inclusive digital futures. Artificial intelligence is reshaping how people access information, communicate and participate digitally. At the same time, AI can reproduce existing inequalities. Women, LGBTQI+ people, persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities, journalists, human rights defenders and marginalised communities may face greater exposure to AI-driven misinformation and bias. The issue is therefore not merely technological; it is also about justice, representation and human rights.

Another key session addresses gender inclusion in cybersecurity policy. Cyberattacks, surveillance and technology-facilitated violence can affect women and gender-diverse people differently and, in many cases, more severely. Gender-responsive cybersecurity policy is therefore not an additional concern but an important part of safe, inclusive and rights-based cybersecurity.

“The Algorithmic Breach”, a session focused on children’s digital safety, also examines platform accountability. Short-form content platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts are increasingly shaping children’s attention, thinking and learning. The issue is no longer limited to families or schools; it has become a matter of public policy and platform accountability. A central question is whether existing laws can address harm when the problem lies not in the content itself but in how that content is delivered.

AI training data, copyright and creator rights are also on the agenda. For ordinary writers, artists and users, it can be difficult to know which books, texts, images or datasets are being used to train generative AI systems. Debates around the Books3 dataset, Japan’s copyright framework, South Korea’s AI Basic Act and the European AI Act show that training-data transparency has become a major issue in global technology governance.

The forum is also discussing Digital Public Infrastructure. Digital identity, payment systems and government service platforms have become critical components of public administration. Yet questions remain over how much citizens participate in their design and governance and how the balance between efficiency, inclusion, privacy and security should be determined. The APPO DPI Research Group of young researchers is seeking to connect these questions with experiences from the field.

Another session with particular relevance for South Asia is “Community Radio in the Digital Era”. Despite growing dependence on digital technology, community radio remains a powerful channel for local language, local trust and local realities during disasters, climate emergencies, connectivity failures and misinformation outbreaks. The session examines how internet-based communication and broadcasting can work together to deliver reliable information to communities.

APrIGF began in 2010 in Hong Kong. At the time, the global Internet Governance Forum was in its fifth year, but Asia lacked a comparable regional platform for internet governance discussions. APrIGF was created to address that gap. After 16 successful editions, the 17th edition is now being held in Nepal. According to the organisers, APrIGF serves as a regional platform for dialogue, collaboration and exchange, connecting national IGF discussions and advancing internet governance across the Asia-Pacific region.

The broader discussions at the forum underline a fundamental reality: the internet is no longer simply a system for exchanging information. It is essential infrastructure for the economy, education, healthcare, disaster management, democratic participation, human rights and everyday civic life. When the internet fails, therefore, the disruption goes beyond connectivity and can affect rights, livelihoods, security and public trust.

Climate disasters, cyberattacks, misinformation, platform governance, surveillance, AI bias and digital inequality now intersect within the same policy debate. The forum’s central message is therefore one of preparedness rather than reaction—building resilience before disruption occurs.

The Kathmandu forum is pushing the debate beyond technical infrastructure toward human and institutional accountability. A resilient internet means more than keeping cables, servers and signals operational. It also means protecting people’s voices, rights, security and dignity.

The future of the internet cannot be left to technologists alone. Governments, civil society, community media, women and marginalised communities, young people, researchers, artists, journalists and ordinary users all need a meaningful place in the policy process. The internet belongs to everyone, and its future should be shaped through everyone’s participation.
//DBTech/SVCC/BPO/IH//