On 3 September 2026, UN Chronicle, the flagship magazine of the United Nations, published an opinion piece by UNU-IAS experts Gio Lugo Miole (JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellow) and Jonghwi Park (Academic Programme Officer). The article calls for recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ meaningful authority over how AI systems — their data, languages, knowledge or cultural materials — are developed and used. It also argues that Indigenous data sovereignty must be central to AI governance.
Excerpt:
As diverse as the images we may have of Indigenous people are, their knowledge systems and rights are even more varied and deeply historical. Last month, we celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, and we should take this opportunity to ensure that Indigenous people are counted (on) without reducing them to data points. We must count them as rights-holders who are co-creating the AI ecosystem. We have a responsibility to build a governance framework for truly inclusive AI.
The full article is available on the UN Chronicle website.
