# AI for Good at WAICF 26 - Frederic Werner Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j97wfV6aqXI Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/j97wfV6aqXI Generated: 2026-02-23T14:32:32.426+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Fred Werner, Chief of Strategic Engagement at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), emphasized at the World AI Cannes Festival 2026 that AI for Good's mission involves ensuring global connectivity and addressing major challenges like healthcare, education, and disaster response through AI, while also highlighting the ITU's role in standardizing AI, particularly for space computing applications like processing satellite imagery in real-time. **Key Points:** - AI for Good, established in 2017, aims to leverage AI to solve global challenges in areas like affordable healthcare, education, disaster response, and resource settings. - Fred Werner serves as the Chief of Strategic Engagement for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN specialized agency for digital technologies. - A key focus for the ITU is ensuring that two-thirds of the world, which remains unconnected, gains access to AI technologies, similar to how electricity and 5G access were standardized. - The ITU launched an AI Space Computing Challenge to foster innovation in processing satellite imagery in real-time (minutes instead of hours) using AI chips on satellites. - Werner notes that the demand for energy from AI is insatiable, potentially requiring double the capacity of the US or Europe to handle data centers. - The ITU's role includes setting international standards for AI development, which are crucial for global implementation across diverse use cases. - The interview took place at the World AI Cannes Festival 2026, hosted by IT for Business. ![Screenshot at 00:13: Journalist Thomas Pagbe from IT for Business interviews Fred Werner from the ITU at the World AI Cannes Festival 2026, setting the scene for a discussion on AI for Good initiatives.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/j97wfV6aqXI/00-00-13.jpg) **Context:** The video features an interview conducted by Thomas Pagbe of IT for Business with Fred Werner, Chief of Strategic Engagement at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), during the World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF) 2026. Werner discusses the mission of 'AI for Good,' which focuses on applying artificial intelligence to address critical global issues and standardize technology deployment worldwide, contrasting the rapid pace of AI development with existing infrastructure capabilities. ## Detailed Analysis Fred Werner, Chief of Strategic Engagement at the ITU, outlines the broad mandate of 'AI for Good,' an initiative established in 2017, which focuses on applying AI to solve critical global challenges such as providing affordable healthcare, improving education, managing disasters, and optimizing resource settings like agriculture and smart cities. He stressed that the ITU, as the UN agency for digital technologies, works to harmonize and standardize AI development globally, ensuring that two-thirds of the world that remains unconnected can eventually access these technologies, similar to the rollout of electricity or 5G. Werner highlighted the immense energy demand of AI, suggesting current capacity needs to double to meet the demand from data centers. A specific example of ITU's work is the AI Space Computing Challenge, designed to promote the use of AI chips on satellites to process massive amounts of Earth imagery in near real-time (minutes vs. hours), which is vital for applications like climate monitoring and disaster management. He emphasized that without standardization efforts, the potential benefits of AI across various sectors would be significantly hampered. ### WAICF 2026 Interview Context - Interview between Thomas Pagbe (IT for Business) and Fred Werner (ITU) - Filmed live at the World AI Cannes Festival 2026 - Focus on AI for Good and ITU's standardization role ### AI for Good Mission - Addressing global challenges (healthcare, education, disaster response, resource settings) - AI for Good founded in 2017 - Aim to connect the unconnected two-thirds of the world ### ITU's Role in AI - Standardizing AI development globally - Comparing standardization efforts to electricity and 5G - AI Governance piece is crucial ### Space Computing Initiative - ITU launched an AI Space Computing Challenge - Focus on processing satellite imagery in real-time (minutes, not hours) - Involves AI chips on satellites beaming data to Earth ### Current Challenges - AI energy demand is 'insatiable' and growing rapidly - Current infrastructure capacity (US/Europe) would need to double to handle data centers - Need for collective work on data, infrastructure, and AI skills ![Screenshot at 00:02: Opening title sequence for 'IT for Business' overlaid on a digital matrix graphic.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/j97wfV6aqXI/00-00-02.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:06: The acronym 'WAICF' \(World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival\) displayed over the digital background.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/j97wfV6aqXI/00-00-06.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:13: The interviewer, Thomas Pagbe, stands at the 'IT for Business' branded desk, speaking into a microphone amidst a busy event floor.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/j97wfV6aqXI/00-00-13.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:20: Guest Fred Werner of the ITU seated at a separate 'IT for Business' desk, speaking passionately into his microphone.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/j97wfV6aqXI/00-00-20.jpg) ![Screenshot at 08:38: A transition graphic showing the 'IT for Business' branding with social media links and a QR code, signaling the end of the main segment.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/j97wfV6aqXI/00-08-38.jpg)