WIPO’s AI Agenda Takes Shape: From Discussion to Institution Building
Artificial intelligence has gradually moved from the margins to the center of WIPO’s work. In recent years, the Organization has approached AI primarily as an emerging policy issue, creating forums for discussion and producing studies on its implications for the intellectual property system. Director General Daren Tang’s opening address to the 68th WIPO General Assemblies suggests that a different phase has begun. Rather than focusing on whether AI should become part of WIPO’s agenda, the speech sets out how the Organization intends to structure and implement that agenda over the coming years.
The Director General framed this objective as part of his broader goal of making the international intellectual property system “future ready.” To achieve it, he presented what he described as the “four wheels of a car”: a framework that combines policy discussions, technical infrastructure, operational tools, and capacity building into a single institutional strategy.
The first element is intergovernmental dialogue. WIPO will establish a new Global Forum on AI and IP, scheduled for 9–10 November 2026, where Member States will discuss artificial intelligence and intellectual property “holistically and strategically.” The Director General specifically invited ministers and senior policymakers to participate, indicating that the Forum is intended to become WIPO’s principal venue for policy discussions on AI.
The second element is technical infrastructure. Earlier this year, WIPO launched the AI Infrastructure Interchange (AIII), a platform bringing together experts to examine issues including metadata, digital identifiers, and watermarking. These subjects may appear technical, but they are increasingly becoming part of the governance architecture surrounding AI-generated content. Decisions concerning provenance, authenticity, and interoperability frequently depend on technical design choices before they are reflected in legislation or judicial decisions. According to the Director General, the work produced through AIII will be reported to Member States and incorporated into their policy discussions.
The third element concerns administrative implementation. WIPO announced that it is developing artificial intelligence tools for intellectual property offices, beginning with trademark examination. A pilot involving selected offices is expected next year, followed by broader deployment. The Director General also invited national offices developing similar systems to collaborate with WIPO in their design. If implemented as described, WIPO would not only facilitate international cooperation among IP offices but also become directly involved in the development of the digital infrastructure through which intellectual property rights are administered.
The fourth element is capacity building. WIPO intends to continue providing legislative assistance, technical advice, and training relating to AI, including projects undertaken jointly with other United Nations agencies. The Director General referred to initiatives supporting AI entrepreneurs in Africa developing healthcare applications, illustrating that the Organization views AI not only as a regulatory issue but also as part of its broader development agenda.
Viewed together, these four elements represent more than a collection of individual initiatives. They correspond to the principal functions through which WIPO influences the international intellectual property system: convening governments, coordinating technical work, developing operational services, and providing implementation support. AI is therefore no longer presented as a subject to be observed. It is becoming integrated into the Organization’s institutional architecture.
That institutional evolution also raises governance questions.
The Global Forum is presented as the principal venue through which Member States will discuss WIPO’s overall approach to AI. Yet three of the four elements described by the Director General are already underway. The AI Infrastructure Interchange has been operating since April, AI examination tools are under development, and capacity-building activities are already expanding. By the time Member States meet collectively in November, parts of WIPO’s AI program will already have moved from concept to implementation.
This sequencing does not imply that Member States lack oversight. Most of these activities fall within authorities previously granted to the Secretariat, and many build upon existing programs. Nevertheless, sequencing matters in institutional governance. Once technical platforms are established, software begins to be deployed, and administrative practices become operational, subsequent policy discussions often take place against an existing institutional baseline rather than a blank slate.
Whether the Global Forum ultimately shapes these initiatives or primarily serves as the forum through which they are reviewed remains to be seen. That distinction may become one of the more consequential questions as WIPO’s role in AI governance continues to evolve.