The AI for Developing Countries Forum (AIFOD), which publishes this website, held talks in Geneva with Jürgen Menze, a disability inclusion specialist and coordinator of the Global Business and Disability Network at the International Labour Organization (ILO), AIFOD reported on 29 May 2026. The dialogue examined both the potential advantages and the hazards of artificial intelligence for persons with disabilities living in developing nations.
During the meeting, the participants reviewed AIFOD's mission and identified overlapping private sector contacts across both networks to assess foundations for future collaboration. Both entities operate on independent, membership-driven models without corporate sponsorship.
Workplace Risks and Technical Foundations
Menze highlighted the contradictory impact of AI on disability inclusion. At an individual level, the technology offers tools to assist people with disabilities in finding work and taking part in public life. Conversely, institutional deployments introduce distinct dangers. In workplace management and hiring procedures, automated systems risk replicating and worsening discriminatory practices, generating new mechanisms of exclusion.
Menze added that fundamental digital connectivity remains indispensable. Without reliable internet infrastructure, AI-driven solutions cannot assist populations in low-income regions. His unit within the United Nations specialized labour agency has studied the implications of artificial intelligence since 2019.
Integrating Disability Perspectives into Future Summits
The discussion addressed plans for the upcoming AIFOD Geneva Summit 2026. Menze noted that previous summits had not emphasised disability inclusion and suggested incorporating this theme into the 2026 programme, either through dedicated sessions or as an overarching theme throughout the agenda.
To expand institutional engagement across the UN network, Menze offered to connect AIFOD with the ILO official coordinating organisation-wide AI initiatives, as well as representatives from the Equitable AI Alliance. The two parties agreed to continue discussions regarding disability inclusion in upcoming AIFOD events.
