Human-Centered AI for Agrifood Systems: From Ethics to Implementation

Monday, 5 October 2026 | 14:30- 16:00 CET

Hosted by the Permanent Mission of Poland to the UN Office in Geneva

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping societies and economies, including agrifood systems. While AI presents significant opportunities to accelerate progress towards food security and sustainable development, it also raises important ethical questions concerning human dignity, inclusion, equity, accountability, and the rights of vulnerable populations.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, is convening a high-level dialogue on ‘Human-Centered AI for Agrifood Systems: From Ethics to Implementation‘ to explore how ethical principles for AI can be translated into practical policies, governance frameworks and real-world applications that serve people and planet.

The event will also inaugurate a new FAO in Geneva Digital and AI Governance Dialogues for agrifood transformation, designed to contribute substantively to the preparatory pathway toward the Geneva AI Summit under the umbrella of the “Road to Geneva 2027”.

The dialogue will bring together the Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives of the Missions of Italy, Rwanda, Poland, Brazil, as well as UN leaders, technical experts, youth representatives, academia and faith-based actors to discuss how ethical AI can be translated into practical solutions for food security, inclusion and sustainable development. It will also benefit from the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA)’s Director General intervention and feature a live demo from FAO HQ technical experts to showcase concrete practical examples on how AI can support knowledge access while maintaining a human-centered approach.

The dialogue aims to: 

• Advance a shared vision for human-centered and ethical AI that upholds human dignity, inclusion and the common good while supporting sustainable agrifood systems. 
• Bridge principles and practice by exploring how ethical frameworks can be translated into effective AI governance, policies and implementation at local, national and global levels. 
• Foster multi-stakeholder cooperation among governments, international organizations, academia, youth, faith-based actors and the private sector to ensure AI benefits reach farmers, rural communities and vulnerable populations.