The Future is Today: Shaping the Tech Innovation Race

Scaling Public Sector AI with Accountability

In this workshop, journalists and civil society members will work together to evaluate the impact of a public sector AI system from different angles. How would you evaluate this system? What data would you need? What barriers do you anticipate? Who could you work with to get more information? You will learn from the work of two grantees at the Pulitzer Center and civil society to ground your ideas.

Investigating Big Tech's Environmental Impact

In this panel co-hosted by the Repórter Brasil, The Intercept Brasil, R3D and Pulitzer Center, panelists facilitate a conversation into better ways of working together to combat the opacity around Big Tech infrastructure. Journalists will speak about the lack of transparency & corruption in the data center industry and a human rights lawyer will share what evidence is needed to make an impact.

Crypto and Illicit Finance: What’s Breaking Down, What’s Working, and the Path Forward

Cryptocurrency is no longer a niche innovation issue. It’s now a central battleground for money laundering, sanctions evasion, corruption, and political influence, with regulatory choices in individual countries shaping outcomes globally. The challenge now is not simply identifying risks, but moving from fragmented, reactive responses toward durable policy solutions that can keep pace with how crypto markets operate in practice.

This panel focuses on what we have learned so far about where crypto governance is failing, where it is starting to work, and what the next phase of reform must look like if governments are serious about protecting financial integrity and democratic systems. Drawing on experiences from the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Russia, the discussion will move beyond problem-spotting to examine concrete policy tools, enforcement strategies, and coalition opportunities that can counter the growing misuse of crypto for illicit finance and political influence. Rather than rehashing hype or first-order debates, the panel will zero in on practical pathways forward: how anti-money laundering coverage can be adequately extended to crypto intermediaries and stablecoins; how sanctions enforcement and cross-border cooperation can be strengthened; how political finance and corruption risks tied to crypto can be addressed; and where alliances among governments, regulators, and civil society can realistically slow the wave of illicit crypto activity. The goal is to leave participants with a clearer sense of what reforms are achievable now, where pressure points exist, and how international coordination can move from rhetoric to results.

From hype to impact: Harnessing AI for integrity

AI is increasingly used to strengthen integrity and fight corruption, but its practical applications are not comprehensively explored. This workshop explores real-world AI tools, their risks and safeguards, and how to move from “hype” to impact. It will launch a UNDP compendium, showcase three global use cases, and foster open dialogue to share lessons and scale responsible solutions.

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Combat Corruption in Government

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential to detect, prevent, and mitigate corruption risks through predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and real-time monitoring. However, deploying AI in the public sector raises critical questions about ethics, transparency, data governance, and capacity building.

How collaborations between creatives, civil society and journalists can work towards AI accountability

The dialogue/panel will put forth how the power of campaigning and journalistic work can bring down one of the most notorious bad guys in the tech accountability space: Palantir. The panel will dissect how effective strategies around campaigning on Palantir in the UK and the US has led to a more widespread understanding about the company and the devastating harms it perpetuates in specific contexts. It will explore the shady workings of the company, lobbying efforts and Palantir’s business model when it comes to striking deals not just within the Global North space but also in other regions in Latin America as the world witnesses a rise in techno-authoritarianism.

Panel Tech and Conflict

In this panel, investigative reporters will share techniques, challenges and regional perspectives on how to investigate the uses of technology in conflicts. Speakers will deep dive on how powerful investigations are conducted, highlighting different methodologies and examples. We will feature speakers from organizations such as Airwars, Bellingcat or +972 Magazine (Israel/Palestine), and potentially investigative reporters covering conflict in Iran or Ukraine.

Reclaiming the Tech Innovation Race: AI and the New Architecture of Democratic Integrity

This session examines how responsible AI, network intelligence, and digital traceability can strengthen institutions against transnational corruption. Cases from Latin America and Europe show how cross-sector collaboration can accelerate responsible adoption of civic technologies through cross-border cooperation and democratic safeguards.