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In Collaboration With
Thursday, 28 May 2026
Duration: 3 hours
13:00 - 16:00 UTC Google Meet
Theme: Universal Participation: Languages, AI, and the Infrastructure of an Inclusive Internet
As artificial intelligence becomes a primary interface to the Internet, multilingual compatibility and digital identifiers are more important than ever. This UA Day event explores how Universal Acceptance, language infrastructure, and inclusive data practices together enable meaningful participation in the digital world.
The program, hosted by CODI in collaboration with UNESCO and ICANN brings together leaders from the Internet technical community, civil society, language communities, and intergovernmental agency, to discuss how we can ensure that everyone can navigate the Internet in their own language.
Opening Keynote
13:00 to 13:10 UTC
Title: UA Meets AI: From Universal Acceptance to Universal Participation on the Internet
Description:
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a primary interface to the Internet. Increasingly, people access information, services, and knowledge through AI systems rather than by navigating websites directly. As this shift accelerates, the ability for domain names, email addresses, and digital identifiers to function across languages and scripts becomes even more critical.
In this opening keynote, Ram Mohan, CODI Co-Founder and Internet Hall of Fame Inductee, will outline why language support is now central to digital participation and how the Internet ecosystem must evolve to ensure that everyone can navigate and benefit from the Internet in their own language. He will be joined by Guilherme Canela, Director of the Division for Digital Inclusion and Policies and Digital Transformation at UNESCO, who will emphasize the critical role of Universal Acceptance in achieving global digital inclusion, and the importance of preserving linguistic diversity online for building inclusive knowledge societies. Together, they will set the stage for a broader discussion on the infrastructure, data, and collaboration needed to support multilingual participation in an AI-enabled world.
Speakers:
Format: Opening remarks
Session 1
13:10 - 13:40 UTC
Title: Fireside Chat: Why Languages Must Live Online
Description:
For many language communities, the Internet has become both a challenge and an opportunity. As younger generations increasingly communicate, learn, and create online, languages that lack a digital presence risk being used less frequently and, over time, disappearing from everyday life.
In this fireside chat, Trang Nguyen, CODI’s Executive Director is joined by a guest from a low-resourced language community, to discuss the importance of ensuring languages thrive in the digital world. The conversation will explore how globalization and digital platforms influence language use among younger generations, why supporting languages online is critical for cultural preservation, and how technology, infrastructure, and community initiatives can work together to ensure that languages continue to live and evolve in the Internet age.
Speakers:
Format: Fireside Chat
Session 2
13:40 - 14:20 UTC
Title: Building AI That Represents Languages and Communities
Description:
Creating AI systems that reflect the diversity of the world’s languages requires more than infrastructure and datasets. It also requires collaboration with language communities, ethical approaches to data governance, and sustained partnerships across the Internet ecosystem.
In this panel discussion, experts from civil society, language initiatives and intergovernmental agency will share how they are working to ensure that languages and cultures are represented accurately and responsibly in digital systems. Panelists will discuss the practical challenges of building inclusive language resources, supporting community-led initiatives, and ensuring that the development of multilingual AI systems benefits the communities whose languages they represent. The panelists will outline the strategic need to empower language communities in that process, and explore the ethical, rights-based governance mechanisms required to do so responsibly.
Speakers:
Format: Panel discussion
Session 3
14:20 - 15:00 UTC
Title: The Internet Language Stack: Infrastructure for Multilingual Participation
Description:
Ensuring that people can use the Internet in their own language requires more than translation tools. It depends on a layered ecosystem of technical standards and infrastructure that allow languages and scripts to function across digital systems.
This session introduces the concept of the “Internet Language Stack” and examines the foundational layers that enable multilingual participation online. Panelists will discuss how technologies such as character encoding, domain names, and Universal Acceptance work together to support languages across the Internet—and why these infrastructure choices are increasingly important as AI systems become a primary way people interact with digital services.
Speakers:
Format: Presentation
Session 4
15:00 - 15:40 UTC
Title: Enabling Languages in AI: Introducing the Minimum Viable Dataset Framework
Description:
Even when the technical infrastructure exists to support languages online, many languages remain underrepresented in AI systems due to the lack of accessible linguistic data. Without sufficient digital resources, languages cannot easily be integrated into modern AI tools and services.
This session introduces CODI’s Minimum Viable Dataset (MVD) framework, an initiative designed to help language communities, technologists, and policymakers understand what is required for languages to meaningfully participate in digital and AI systems. Speakers will discuss how the MVD framework defines the minimum linguistic and cultural data needed for languages to move from digital invisibility to practical use in AI-enabled environments.
Speakers:
Format: Presentation
Closing
15:40 - 15:50 UTC
Title: Closing Reflections: The Path to Universal Participation
Description:
The transition to an AI-enabled Internet presents both opportunities and challenges for multilingual participation online. Ensuring that everyone can navigate the Internet in their own language requires coordination across infrastructure providers, technologists, policymakers, and language communities.
In this closing session, Ram Mohan reflects on the key insights from the day and highlights opportunities for continued collaboration across the Internet ecosystem. The session will reinforce the importance of Universal Acceptance, inclusive language infrastructure, and community-driven data initiatives in shaping a more multilingual and participatory digital future.
Speaker: Ram Mohan, CODI Co-Founder, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee
Format: Closing remarks
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