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The II Global Digital Forum: Highlights
Over three days, the Mechta venue in Moscow’s Gorky Park hosted more than 60 sessions – roundtables, lectures, workshops, and presentations – welcoming over 1,300 guests, among them 730 experts from 111 countries.
AI is transforming content creation: from post-production to archive restoration
Artificial intelligence is accelerating content production, automating repetitive tasks, and restoring archival materials.
One of the main challenges for the media is to reconcile technological development with audience trust
The boundaries between text, video, and audio are blurring; the algorithm is becoming a co‑author, and the cost of producing a unit of content is approaching zero. During a session at the journalism school, experts discussed how neural networks will change information formats for a mass audience.
As AI technologies rapidly become simpler, opportunities open up for laymen
Students at the Bloggers’ School, held as part of the Global Digital Forum, learned how to use the large language models interface, formulate queries, and work with context.
GDF Participants Discuss the Role of AI in City Management
The key topics of the session “Smart City KPIs: A New Quality Standard” included the digitalization of major cities, the need to integrate urban systems, and the role of AI in city management.
Boris Vasilyev: ITU Should Become the Main Forum for Developing Measures to Counter Starlink
Decisions at the level of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are needed to counter the use of Starlink satellite internet systems to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states, Head of a Division at the Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Information SecurityBoris Vasilyev said during the panel discussion, “NGSO Communication Systems: From National Ambitions to Regional Cooperation.”
Cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev: There are work chats on the International Space Station
A cosmonaut’s working day aboard the International Space Station (ISS) lasts eight hours, part of which is spent in meetings with mission control centers in different countries, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev told participants at the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
Zoomers trust AI. How neural networks changed the work of modern newsrooms
Artificial intelligence can speed up information searches, expand reach, and personalize content. But the creative vision, responsibility, and ability to ask questions and find answers remain the journalist’s domain. This was the conclusion of experts speaking at the session, Journalism School - AI in the Newsroom: Implementation, Opportunities and Risks.
Languages without digital borders: how AI helps preserve linguistic diversity
Participants in the session, Language, Culture, Data: AI for Low-Resource Languages, discussed how artificial intelligence can become a powerful tool for preserving and developing the linguistic and cultural heritage of different peoples.
Marina Mongush: Russia’s Creative Economy Is Growing Nearly Four Times Faster Than the National Economy as a Whole
Russia’s creative economy is a fast-growing sector in which intellectual property, ideas, and human talent, rather than natural resources, are becoming key strategic assets. President of the Unified Center for the Creative Economy (the Creative Economy Autonomous Nonprofit Organization) Marina Mongush discussed this in greater detail in her visionary lecture.
“People fall in love with Russia”: how Russia attracts foreign IT specialists
At the panel discussion How Countries Compete for Tech Talent, experts from Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, Egypt, and France discussed foreign specialists’ adaptation and the role of soft power.
Maxim Oreshkin: Data sovereignty in education is crucial
For a country to achieve genuine sovereignty in AI, it needs sovereignty over its data and its own infrastructure, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin said at the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
GDF Discusses the opportunities and risks of open-source models
Experts discussed plans for the use and development of open-source models, as well as the risks associated with their adoption, during the panel discussion Open-Source Models: How to Balance Opportunities and Vulnerabilities.
Only high-level developers will remain: How AI will change the video game industry
Artificial intelligence is changing the way video games are developed, but human creativity and oversight remain essential. This was the consensus among participants in the panel discussion, Game Worlds: Who Is the Real Creator?
International Cooperation and Workforce Training: Strengthening Digital Sovereignty
As the world moves toward multipolarity, digital sovereignty is becoming both a key to success and a vital strategic asset for countries. Cristina Amor Maclang, co-founder of the International Digital Economies Association (iDEA) and GeiserMaclang, noted that the presentation titled “Digital Sovereignty in a Multipolar World: Tools for Assessing and Harmonizing Approaches to IT Cooperation” was highly relevant to most GDF participants, given that China and the United States are home to 90 percent of the world’s data centers.
Jeong-kee Kim: The success of urban digitalization is measured by more than the number of technologies deployed
Secretary General of the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) Jeong-kee Kim delivered a visionary lecture entitled The City Designed for People: From Digital Transformation to Innovation. He discussed how digital transformation is reshaping cities and why the next stage in the development of the smart city concept must go beyond technology.
Second day of the II Global Digital Forum: Key results
One of the highlights of the forum’s second day was the plenary session “Digital Sovereignty: From Resource to Export Asset.”
Rossotrudnichestvo proposes expanding services at Russian Houses abroad
Russian Houses abroad could become platforms offering access to Russian government services online and digital assistants. The proposal was presented by Andrey Tsyper, Chairman of the Public Council under the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Cultural Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) and CEO of Rambler Group, during a joint meeting of the public councils of Rossotrudnichestvo and the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, held as part of the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
The UN Special Envoy calls human resources the key component of digital development
Experts from Russia and the UN discussed how education impacts the development of digital technologies at the panel discussion, Education As A Tool For Digitalization: International Cooperation And Development.
Moscow Government: nearly every resident of the capital city uses digital services
Digital technologies have become a habitual part of Moscow residents’ lives, and 99% of citizens routinely use at least one Internet service or one digital platform. This was announced by Dmitry Ontoev, adviser to the head of the Moscow Department of Information Technologies, during the panel discussion, Could You Please Pass This Money to the Driver? / Can I Cut the Line with Just a Small Question? or Things we no Longer Remember in the Age of Tech.
Amid the rapid advancement of AI, experts are calling for a measured approach to digitalization
To address emerging threats, including deepfakes and attacks on databases, partner countries are developing AI-powered security solutions, establishing cybersecurity centers, and launching public education programs. These efforts were discussed during the workshop titled Cybersecurity and AI: New Challenges and New Protection Tools. Incident Analysis.
International cooperation is the only way to make cyberspace safer
Participants in a session held with the support of the Russian Foreign Ministry discussed the work of the UN’s Global Mechanism on ICT Security and the need to establish legally binding rules for cyberspace.
Russia-led initiative to establish a Global Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment Launched at GDF 2026
On October 9, as part of the 2nd Global Digital Forum, a joint statement on the establishment of the Global Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment was signed, and the Alliance held its inaugural meeting. Representatives of government agencies from Abkhazia, Nicaragua, Russia, South Ossetia, and the Central African Republic, as well as non-governmental organizations from across Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, took part in the meeting. Tanzania and Bangladesh also endorsed the initiative.
AI ethics and regulation: Keeping humans in control
The rapid development of artificial intelligence is raising new challenges related to data security, the autonomy of AI agents, human oversight, and accountability for AI-driven decisions. These issues were at the center of discussions during the session “Global Dialogue on AI Ethics: Expert Forum on New Challenges.”
Education by New Rules: How AI Is Changing Workforce Training
Artificial intelligence is changing the mix of sought-after skills and prompting adjustment to educational approaches. Skills that employers once valued high are being delegated to AI, while the focus is shifting to system thinking, interdisciplinary knowledge, and the ability to work with AI.
“A gigabit for every home”: The future of telecom infrastructure
Experts explored key priorities for telecommunications development and major infrastructure projects during a panel discussion titled “Telecom Infrastructure: Demands and Solutions. Global Experience.”
Yekaterina Solntseva: Quantum Technologies Will Transform Virtually Every Aspect of Life
Quantum technologies are emerging as one of the most promising fields of
the next technological era. Quantum computing, communications, and sensing are
now advancing rapidly, with technological and industrial ecosystems taking
shape around them.
Russia ready to be full-fledged digital technology partner for other countries
Russia is ready to become a full-fledged partner for other countries in the realm of digital technologies, not by imposing its solutions, but by helping to create a robust domestic industry and ensure the digital sovereignty of partner states.
A7: Payment sovereignty is an integral part of digital sovereignty
Russia has significantly diversified the currencies used in its foreign trade in recent years, with approximately 85 percent of international trade settlements conducted in rubles and the currencies of friendly countries by the end of 2025
Maria Zakharova: Toying with AI could erase human individuality
Excessive reliance on artificial intelligence could ultimately erase human individuality and the qualities that make each person unique, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned during a lecture at the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
Russian IT companies have technological sovereignty solutions for international markets
Russian IT companies can offer their foreign partners solutions for the preservation of technological sovereignty and cultural legacy, according to participants in the panel discussion, National Code Without Borders: Exporting Art, Technology And Media.
Gosuslugi and eGovPH: How Russia and the Philippines are building national services platforms
In Russia, the majority of the adult population uses the Gosuslugi [Public Services] portal. In the Philippines, the equivalent service is eGovPH, which has garnered 60 million downloads and has processed more than 900 million transactions. During the session, Master Class. Govtech: How To Build A National Services Platform, participants conducted a practical analysis of two case studies: the Russian and Philippine portals for delivering public services.
Moving to a new level of healthcare: How digital adoption is transforming the system
Digital transformation is reshaping healthcare worldwide. Care is increasingly shifting toward prevention: artificial intelligence, big data, telemedicine, wearable devices, and personalized medicine platforms are opening new doors for early risk detection and proactive health management.
Digital city landscape: AI is reshaping citizen-government interaction
The panel discussion AI-sation As Smart City Trend focused on the transformation of the digital urban landscape in which AI technologies are employed. Experts also reviewed practical cases of implementing AI assistants in the urban environment, as well as the effects of scaling up, replication opportunities and the resources required to achieve this.
Market Analysis and a Clear-Cut Plan: Experts Explain How to Scale Up a Technology Business
To enter international markets, companies need to know their target audience, the cultural specifics of each country, the legal aspects of doing business, and the opportunities for securing financing under applicable laws. Experts discussed these issues at the master class “High-Tech Market Rules: Strategies for the International Growth of Technology Companies.”
First day of the 2nd Global Digital Forum: key results
During the first day of the 2nd Digital Forum, experts outlined the main trends in the global IT sphere, exchanged experience of digital transformation in public governance, and discussed the influence of technologies on mega-city management.
Regulating AI: Experts discuss global internet governance
Participants in a GDF 2026 panel discussion, Global Internet Governance in a Multipolar World: Development Vectors after WSIS+20, discussed internet and AI governance and the existing issues in the global governance system.
Nikolay Golovko: Digital sovereignty is the ability to control national digital transformation
The experts taking part in the workshop Projects across Economic Sectors: Current Challenges and Opportunities for Cooperation with African Countries discussed digital transformation in the key industries and promising solutions for African countries.
Evgeny Chereshnev: The business challenge today is a shortage of creators
The business world today faces a “shortage of creators,” and a growing need to build products that never existed before. Evgeny Chereshnev, Senior Vice President at AFK Sistema, made the case during his visionary lecture, AI Agent Economy: What Happens When AI Takes the Lead.
Russia and Southeast Asian countries share expertise in digital government
Participants from Russia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam discussed ways to establish an ongoing exchange of knowledge, spanning educational programs and joint pilot projects. The discussion took place at a roundtable titled Russia – Southeast Asia: E-Governance Knowledge Sharing.
Key global IT trends discussed at GDF 2026 plenary session
Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff of the Russian Federation Dmitry Grigorenko highlighted Russia’s progress in digitalization and outlined major trends shaping the global IT industry.
Business IT Breakfast at the GDF 2026 focuses on child safety online
On October 8, as part of the Global Digital Forum in Moscow, the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment hosted a business IT breakfast titled “Digital Childhood Without Borders: Best International Practices for Protecting Child Safety Online.” Representatives from government agencies, technology companies, and civil society organizations from Russia, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Ghana discussed national approaches to ensuring children’s online safety and the prospects for international cooperation.
Lack of mechanisms for handling free domain names may pose corporate risks
The absence of clear protocols for acquiring available domain names, coupled with insufficient attention to protecting them, could expose companies to risks, according to participants in the panel discussion, The Value of a Name: Domain as a Digital Asset.
Digital twins: How technology is transforming urban management
How are digital replicas of cities becoming the technological foundation for a new level of governance, helping make management decisions and optimize urban resources? These were the key topics explored during the panel discussion, The City in 3D: How Digital Twins Are Transforming Urban Life.
AI is just a tool: Experts about the role of AI in cinema, advertising, and media
Generative AI is rapidly reshaping the way media content is created — from music and visual assets to films, advertising and video games. The experts who took part in the 2nd Global Digital Forum’s panel discussion on AI in Media Production: Film, Advertising, Platforms discussed the way AI is changing this sphere and why the personnel of various companies don’t trust it so far.
GDF participants discuss African digital sovereignty experiences
Several key trends have emerged regarding digital sovereignty that are now driving the development of the digital industry: sovereignty in data storage, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and energy. Experts discussed these issues during the round table, Practices of Implementing Digital Sovereignty: National Strategies, Legislation, and Global Experience.
The age of total digital: Experts weigh the pros and cons of AI in the newsroom
Experts discussed how platform algorithms and smart feeds are reshaping the journey content takes to reach readers during a session titled The Age of Total Digital: Distribution, Algorithms, and Generative AI in the Newsroom, organized with the Kommersant Publishing House.
The trust economy: GDF panel discusses AI’s impact on media credibility
In an era awash with information and AI tools, the media landscape is saturated with content, including deepfakes. News feeds are increasingly driven by algorithmic recommendations, making trust the decisive factor in successful audience communication.
Mahefa Andriamampiadana: For Madagascar, digital sovereignty and international openness are not mutually exclusive
Ahead of his visit to Moscow, Mahefa Andriamampiadana, Minister of Digital Development, Digital Transformation, Posts and Telecommunications of the Republic of Madagascar, discussed the country’s priorities in IT development and his expectations for the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
Government of Venezuela: do not attempt to digitize all sectors at once
Ahead of GDF 2026, the Ministry of Popular Power for Science and Technology of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shared its vision for the country’s digital development.
GDF-2026 session to focus on promoting Russian creative projects abroad
PSB Bank will host a session titled National Code Without Borders: Exporting Art, Technology and Media during the 2nd Global Digital Forum. Effective strategies for promoting Russian creative projects in the global market are to be discussed – from cultural projects to IT solutions.
Mustafa Jabbar Sanad: Iraq prioritizes digital transformation of public services
Ahead of the 2nd Global Digital Forum, Iraq’s Minister of Communications, Mustafa Jabbar Sanad, discussed the key areas of information technology development in the country and the challenges Iraq faces in implementing them.
Russia to Host 2nd Global Digital Forum
On October 6, 2026, an article on the upcoming Global Digital Forum in Moscow was published by the Egyptian outlet Al-Masry Al-Youm. Al-Masry Al-Youm is Egypt’s largest media outlet with over 20 years of history and a monthly readership of over 18 million.
African countries are beginning to build ‘smart’ cities
On October 6, 2026, the Nigerian newspaper Punch published an item on the upcoming Global Digital Forum in Moscow. Punchng is the official website of one of the largest and most influential and respected dailies in Nigeria, with a monthly readership of 9 million.
Global Digital Forum to discuss the role of humans in the gaming industry in the AI era
The 2nd Global Digital Forum will host a panel discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence on the gaming industry. The event is organized by the Association of Professionals in the Game Operations and Development Industry (APRIORI).
Ruwiki: Preserving national digital sovereignty in the age of AI
The Global Digital Forum will provide a platform to discuss one of the key challenges of our time: preserving cultural identity and information independence amid the expansion of global IT giants.
Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development to hold a session on the future of global internet governance at GDF-2026
The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media of the Russian Federation is hosting a strategic session on global internet governance as part of the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
Kommersant speakers at the Global Digital Forum to talk about distinguishing real news from fake news
The Kommersant speakers at the 2nd Global Digital Forum will talk about distinguishing real news from fake news, Yekaterina Kinyakina, deputy head of the newspaper’s business section, said in her address at the forum.
Togolese Republic ready to advance cooperation with Russia in digitalization and education
The Togolese Republic highly values its cooperation with the Russian Federation and looks forward to its further strengthening and diversification in areas of mutual interest.
Three major EU digital initiatives
The digital euro will not be launched until 2029, but the EU is already actively debating who will be responsible for issuing it.
Amandeep Singh Gill: I see AI as a mentor and partner to humans in the future, not a replacement
Ahead of the 2nd Global Digital Forum, Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, addressed the key challenges facing the United Nations regarding the development and regulation of digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Global Digital Forum to discuss the digital future of the creative economy
On October 8, Marina Mongush, President of ANO Creative Economy (the integrated center for the creative economy), will deliver a lecture titled “The Digital Future of the Creative Economy” at the Global Digital Forum.
Saddam Hossain Roni: “The Forum Could Serve as a Link Between Research, Practice and Technology”
On the eve of the forum, independent researcher and SHADOW (Society for Humanity And Development Over the World) founder Md. Saddam Hossain Roni told IT Russia about the projects he is working on in Bangladesh and the opportunities for collaboration he hopes to find in Moscow.
New Media Workshop to fit an international media course for journalists and bloggers into GDF 2026 agenda
Over 50 foreign journalists, bloggers, media managers and researchers from various countries are expected to take part in the educational program offered by the New Media Workshop as part of the 2nd Global Digital Forum in Moscow on October 8-10. Participants will spend this time exploring digital media trends, learning to work with neural networks, fact checking and misinformation, social engineering and content creation, and will also discover Russian media platforms and practices.
A session titled “Global Dialogue on AI Ethics: Expert Forum on Emerging Challenges” will take place on October 9 as part of the Global Digital Forum 2026
Russian and international experts will discuss how the ethical agenda is evolving alongside the development of increasingly autonomous artificial intelligence systems.
Brian Kwesiga: “Technology Can Transform Journalism”
Ahead of the forum, Brian Kwesiga, CEO of Mirror Digital Limited (Uganda) and a 2025 graduate of RT Academy, told IT Russia how quickly Uganda’s digital media environment is changing, what he hopes to learn from his Russian counterparts, and why he sees taking part in the forum as a continuation of his professional journey.
Moscow’s digital projects: Scale, technology, and international recognition
Moscow is among the world’s fastest-moving megacities on digital adoption. The city government runs over 300 digital projects a year and vigorously pur-sues international cooperation on digital transformation. Over the past three years, delegations from dozens of countries including China, Brazil, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia have come to study Moscow’s practices.
Models for child protection in the digital environment to be discussed at IT brunch
The IT brunch Digital Childhood Without Borders: Best International Practices for Child Safety Online will take place on October 8 as part of the 2nd Global Digital Forum. The event is organized by the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment.
Pedro Yobanis Piñero Pérez: “We Must Embrace New Technologies and Help Shape Their Development While Creating the Necessary Oversight Mechanisms”
Ahead of the forum, Dr. Pedro Yobanis Piñero Pérez, coordinator of the IADES ALLIANCE International Network, told the online publication IT Russia why new technologies cannot be ignored, why digital literacy needs to be strengthened as misinformation spreads, and what experience from the network could be useful to Russia’s IT industry.
IT Russia at Global Digital Forum: How to drive impactful communication with global tech agenda leaders?
IT Russia (itrussia.media) has signed on as the media partners of the 2nd Global Digital Forum that will take place on October 8−10 at the Mechta complex in Gorky Park, Moscow. Expected to attract participants from 120 countries, the event will bring together heads of competent ministries, top managers of IT companies, representatives of the non-profit sector, diplomats, and the research community from around the world.
Positive Technologies to present cyber defense solutions for entire industries and nations at the Global Digital Forum
The central theme of the Positive Technologies booth at the Global Digital Forum in Moscow will focus on approaches that protect not only individual organizations and entire economic sectors but also nations as a whole.
The Center for Global IT Cooperation at the GDF 2026: From the digital transformation of healthcare to measurable sovereignty
The Center for Global IT Cooperation will hold two sessions during the 2nd Global Digital Forum, which will convene in Moscow from October 8 to 10, 2026. A practical workshop on Digital Transformation at the Forefront of Global Healthcare System Development: from Treating Diseases to Preventing Them will focus on the use of modern technologies for shifting the healthcare system from a model focused primarily on treating diseases that have already developed to one centered on prevention and proactive health management throughout a person’s lifetime.
Moscow’s Department of Information Technology to hold four sessions at the 2nd Global Digital Forum
The city of Moscow’s Department of Information Technology will hold four thematic sessions at the 2nd Global Digital Forum, which is scheduled to take place on October 8-10 at the Mechta complex in Gorky Park and is expected to be attended by experts from 110 countries. Each of these sessions will focus on the way digital technology has altered the urban environment.
Mozambique eager to step up cooperation on promoting the digital transition
The 2nd Global Digital Forum is expected to bring together 750 international participants, including deputy prime ministers and digital development ministers, as well as other high-level guests. Head of the National Directorate of Studies and Planning at the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation of the Republic of Mozambique, Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala, shared her expectations from the GDF’s 2026 edition ahead of her visit to Moscow.
New organizations to join the AI Ethics Code
On October 9, another signing ceremony for new Russian and international signatories to the AI Ethics Code will be held as part of the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
Digital Transformation Agency CEO: Belarus is moving towards building a unifies national digital environment
The 2nd Global Digital Forum is set to serve as a platform for promoting the sharing of best practices by enabling the participating countries to present their best solutions to their partners. In particular, our Belarusian colleagues are looking forward to working on the Russian market. Sergey Rudnev, CEO at Belarus’ Digital Transformation Agency, sat down for an interview to discuss the main avenues and opportunities for developing information technology in the Republic of Belarus, as well as the challenges his country is facing on its path to digital transformation.
Paul Lalovich: “Technology Is No Longer the Scarce Resource Today – Context, Trust and Effective Governance Mechanisms Are”
The II Global Digital Forum will take place in Moscow on October 8–10 and will bring together hundreds of international guests. They will travel to Russia to look for partners for their projects.
Central African Republic: Partnership with Russia should provide Africa with its own digital experts
Digital transformation is one of the key tasks for African states today. It applies to issues like governance effectiveness, access to public services, education, healthcare, security and data management, according to Évariste Ngamana, Minister of State for Communication and Media and Government Spokesperson, Central African Republic, who spoke ahead of the 2nd Global Digital Forum.
Digital customs platform to debut at GDF 2026
Ratko Bojovic, CEO and founder of ClearBid Pro, will present the company’s customs clearance digitalization technology at the 2nd Global Digital Forum in Moscow.
Alexander Alimov: Foreign interest highlights Russia’s leading role in advancing the digital agenda
Discussions at the Global Digital Forum will focus on strengthening international cooperation in the IT sector in the context of national sovereignty, bridging the digital divide and ensuring access to technology and resources free from any discrimination. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov sat down for an interview on the challenges of the digital transition the international community faces and Russia’s initiatives on international information security.
Dmitry Grigorenko: Russia actively cooperates with foreign nations on digital technology development
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko said in his remarks at the 2nd Global Digital Forum that Russia is actively involved in international cooperation on digitalisation.
II Global Digital Forum to Bring Together Experts from 120 Countries
The II Global Digital Forum (GDF) will take place in Moscow from October 8 to 10 at the Mechta complex in Gorky Park.
Address to the participants of the 2nd Global Digital Forum by Bella Cherkesova, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation
From October 8 to 10, Moscow will host the 2nd Global Digital Forum – a platform for open dialogue among those who are shaping the digital future today.