Together with UNESCO’s Global CSOs and Academic Network on AI Ethics and Policy, IT for Change convened a civil society roundtable on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit to turn the spotlight to the public domain challenge within the policy debate on AI innovation, cultural rights, and development.
The event, organized in a hybrid format, was held at the India International Centre, New Delhi, on 17 Feb 2026. It brought together 22 policy and legal experts, creators, artists, researchers, digital
rights and development organizations, for a vibrant debate. The roundtable was structured around three rounds of catalyst presentations followed by open discussion, guided by the following
questions:
- What are the impacts of the dominant AI innovation paradigm for cultural rights and development?
- Are existing IP regimes adequate to redirect AI development pathways towards local needs and local control of the knowledge infrastructures of tomorrow?
- How can we build an AI commons that fosters a flourishing public domain? Is IP reform a part of this agenda?
Insights from this roundtable, with due acknowledgment of participants’ contributions, will feed into a policy brief for the sub-group on IP and Culture that IT for Change co-leads under UNESCO’s global network.
Read the event report here.