Conferencing Technologies
While much of the world only learned about the power of conferencing technologies when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, such technologies have long been core to Geneva’s daily activities.
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) developed the Indico event management system, enabling stakeholders from all over the world to join global conferences online. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) pioneered the hybrid participation format at its 2006 Athens meeting: Local IGF hubs met in person while following global deliberations online; remote moderators then ensured smooth interactions among those in situ and online.
DiploFoundation (Diplo) took conferences to another level: During a UN Security Council special session, Diplo deployed its human-AI hybrid system, generating just-in-time reports of country statements and key questions. The hybrid system leverages AI’s real-time transcription and summarisation capability along with human quality control. The system has been tested during larger events, such as IGF 2023 and the 78th UN General Assembly.
