by Editor BGF | May 18, 2026 | News
A Special Branch of AIWS Lumina
Nguyen Anh Tuan and Yasuhide Nakayama are developing Japan Lumina, a special branch of AIWS Lumina, to bring the enduring values of Japanese civilization into the AI Age.
Founded as the AI World Society, AIWS has evolved into the AI Wisdom Society, where the letter W represents both World and Wisdom. This evolution reflects a deeper mission: to ensure that artificial intelligence is guided not only by technological intelligence, but also by human wisdom, culture, trust, beauty, and dignity.
Japan Lumina connects the values of harmony, reflection, discipline, integrity, beauty, compassion, and respect for human dignity with the broader AIWS Lumina culture of Love, Creativity, and Nobility. It is envisioned as both a cultural initiative and a civilizational framework — linking Japan and the United States, Boston and Tokyo, tradition and innovation, and technological progress with human-centered wisdom.
Inspired by America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age and supported by the leadership of Yasuhide Nakayama, Japan Lumina proposes that Japan become an important home for annual AIWS Lumina activities and a living bridge of trust, culture, and shared human values for the world.
The symbolic image of AIWS Lumina — a radiant human figure surrounded by light, beauty, and renewal — expresses the spirit of this vision: in the AI Age, humanity must not be diminished by technology, but elevated by wisdom, love, creativity, and nobility.
by Editor BGF | May 11, 2026 | News
As part of the historic America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age Conference held on May 1, 2026 at Harvard University’s Loeb House, the Boston Global Forum and the AI World Society presented the America at 250: AI Pioneers Award, honoring 50 extraordinary scientists, innovators, business leaders, and public thinkers whose contributions have shaped artificial intelligence in service to humanity.
The commemorative video, America at 250: AI Pioneers, celebrates these remarkable individuals and highlights a central message of the conference and the book America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age: that the future of AI must be guided by trust, human dignity, ethical responsibility, and a deep commitment to advancing civilization.
Watch the America at 250: AI Pioneers Video
A particularly meaningful recognition of this initiative came from Trần Đức Thắng, the highest-ranking leader of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. In his official letter dated April 30, 2026, addressed to Governor Michael S. Dukakis and the distinguished leaders of the Boston Global Forum, he congratulated the Forum on its efforts to advance governance, innovation, and human-centered artificial intelligence in the AI Age.
Mr. Trần Đức Thắng expressed appreciation for the vision reflected in America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age and specifically recognized the America at 250: AI Pioneers, noting that their contributions have helped shape science, technology, public life, and responsible innovation. He emphasized Hanoi’s strong commitment to international cooperation in science, technology, digital transformation, and trustworthy AI.
The letter also welcomed practical collaboration between Hanoi and the Boston Global Forum in areas including trustworthy AI governance for public services, information integrity, deepfake response, data governance, healthcare, education, and AI capacity development.
This message from Hanoi’s top leader underscores the growing global significance of the ideas advanced by the Boston Global Forum, the AI World Society, and the book America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age. It also highlights Vietnam’s readiness to work with the United States, Japan, Europe, and other democratic partners to implement AIWS Trust Infrastructure and build a more trustworthy and human-centered civilization in the AI Age.
Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKklarcvhKo&t=8s
Read the full letter from the Hanoi leadership here: https://bostonglobalforum.org/news/congratulations-from-hanois-highest-ranking-leader-to-the/
by Editor BGF | May 11, 2026 | News
AIWS: World and Wisdom — A Beacon for the AI Age
Boston, May 11, 2026 — The Boston Global Forum today announces a significant evolution in the meaning and mission of AIWS.
Originally founded in 2017 as the AI World Society, AIWS was created as a vision for building a global society in which artificial intelligence serves humanity, peace, democracy, and human dignity.
Over the past nine years, AIWS has grown into a globally recognized initiative, influencing leaders, scholars, innovators, policymakers, and citizens around the world. Its ideas and frameworks—including the Social Contract for the AI Age, AIWS Government 24/7, AIWS Trust Infrastructure, and AIWS Lumina—have helped shape international discussions on the future of artificial intelligence and democratic governance.
As AIWS approaches its 10th anniversary in 2027, the Boston Global Forum is expanding and deepening this vision.
Building upon the strong global foundation established by the AI World Society, AIWS will place a renewed emphasis on Wisdom as the guiding principle for the next stage of its development.
Accordingly, AIWS now evolves into the AI Wisdom Society (AIWS).
This evolution preserves the trusted acronym AIWS while enriching the meaning of the letter W, which now represents both World and Wisdom.
- World reflects the global community of nations, institutions, leaders, innovators, and citizens working together to shape the future of artificial intelligence.
- Wisdom reflects the human insight, ethical judgment, cultural depth, reflection, and noble values required to guide artificial intelligence in service of humanity.
This is not a departure from the original mission of AIWS, but a natural and historic deepening of it.
“After nine years of global growth and influence, and as we prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of AIWS, we are building upon the strong foundation of the AI World Society and placing greater emphasis on Wisdom as the guiding force for the AI Age. The letter ‘W’ in AIWS now stands for both World and Wisdom,” said Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-Founder, Co-Chair, and CEO of the Boston Global Forum and Founder of AIWS.
“AIWS began as the AI World Society. Today, it evolves into the AI Wisdom Society—affirming that artificial intelligence must serve the world and be guided by wisdom.”
The evolution to AI Wisdom Society reflects a historic transition:
- From intelligence to wisdom.
- From technology to civilization.
- From global connection to global responsibility.
- From digital power to human dignity.
- From artificial intelligence to artificial intelligence guided by wisdom.
AIWS will continue to advance its established initiatives, including:
- AIWS Trust Infrastructure
- AIWS Trust Architecture
- AIWS Government 24/7
- AIWS Social Contract for the AI Age
- AIWS Lumina
- AIWS Information Trust Infrastructure
- AIWS Trust Order
- AIWS Film Park
- AIWS Angel
The new identity aligns closely with the vision of the book America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age, co-authored by Michael S. Dukakis and Nguyen Anh Tuan, and with the continuing development of AIWS Trust Infrastructure and AIWS Lumina.
The Boston Global Forum will use the name AI Wisdom Society (AIWS) in future publications, programs, and initiatives, while honoring and expanding upon the founding legacy of the AI World Society.
AIWS: World and Wisdom — A Beacon for the AI Age
About the Boston Global Forum
The Boston Global Forum convenes leaders, thinkers, innovators, and citizens to develop initiatives for peace, security, democracy, and responsible innovation in the AI Age.
About AI Wisdom Society (AIWS)
AI Wisdom Society (AIWS), building on the foundation of the AI World Society, is a global initiative dedicated to ensuring that artificial intelligence serves humanity and is guided by world and wisdom, trust, culture, nobility, and human dignity.
Media Contact
[email protected]
by Editor BGF | May 11, 2026 | Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security, News
Yasuhide Nakayama
I also wish to express my deep respect for AIWS Lumina.
To me, AIWS Lumina is a beautiful and necessary vision.
It reminds us that the future cannot be shaped by technology alone.
The AI Age must also be guided by culture, by beauty, by reflection, and by the noble values that elevate the human spirit.
In this, I feel that Japan is deeply close to the standards of AIWS Lumina.
The spirit of harmony.
The respect for beauty.
The discipline of culture.
The value of reflection.
The connection between tradition and the future.
These are qualities deeply rooted in Japanese civilization.
As early as the 7th century, Prince Shotoku taught us:
“Harmony should be valued above all, and discord should be avoided.”
At the same time, he also reminded us:
“Every person has a heart, and each holds their own views.”
In other words, diversity of thought is natural —
and true harmony does not come from uniformity,
but from respecting differences and seeking balance.
And harmony, in its true sense, does not mean silence or compromise at any cost.
We must have the courage to recognize what is right, and to call out what is wrong.
This spirit — to harmonize differences, to respect each other, and to uphold fairness and integrity — resonates strongly with the ideals of Love, Creativity, and Nobility. For this reason, I believe Japan can and should become an important home for the annual activities of AIWS Lumina.
I would be very glad to support the organization of AIWS Lumina annual events in Japan, in close connection with Boston, helping to build a living bridge between Japan and the United States — and beyond that, a bridge of trust, culture, and shared human values for the world.
Let us work together to ensure that the AI Age will be not only more advanced, but also more trusted.
Not only more intelligent, but also more humane.
Not only more powerful, but also more noble.
by Editor BGF | May 11, 2026 | News
May 7, 2026
John Quelch
“The skies over Baghdad have been illuminated.” The words in 1991 of African American CNN news anchor Bernard Shaw brought the start of the Iraq war live into our homes through the power of 24/7 cable news. Non-stop coverage of the Iraq War cemented the importance of CNN on the world stage. Now there’s hardly a decent hotel in any country that doesn’t include CNN (Cable News Network) as an option on its guest bedroom televisions. This was all thanks to the vision of one man, Ted Turner.
I never really knew Ted Turner but on three occasions, I learnt an important lesson from him.
In 1983, as a young Harvard Business School professor, I wanted to write a case on the recently launched Cable News Network. All the top professors were calling Ted but being rebuffed, so what chance did I have? One day, I saw CNN’s VP of advertising quoted in the New York Times. I called him and proposed a case which went up to Ted for approval which he then gave. From this, I learnt that, if you want something, it’s not always smart to go to the top guy. A good boss, Ted let someone down the organization take the initiative and draw the limelight.
Seventeen years later, I was one of a hundred people invited to a Deloitte reception at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Ted and Jane Fonda were the guests of honor. I managed to introduce myself to Ted and mentioned the case and my friendship with his old VP. When Ted started his remarks, he introduced me to the Davos elite as “the most important person here, who wrote the first Harvard case study on CNN.” You can’t buy that kind of endorsement. Ted had an ego but he was also nice to mice.
In 1988, Ted was the guest of honor at the annual Reebok human rights award ceremony in Boston. It was the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and I was a Reebok board member at the time. A thousand people were looking forward to being entertained with some salty remarks and juicy anecdotes. Ted, who had then pledged $ 1 billion to support the United Nations Foundation, started with a question: “How many of you here have read the UN Declaration of Human Rights?” Only around six hands were raised. Ted then spent the next fifteen minutes reading word for word the thirty articles in the Declaration. That was his speech. Ted despised hypocrisy and stuck it to the audience. That was another good lesson.
It seems paradoxical – though it shouldn’t – that a man so quintessentially American, dedicated to preserving lands in Montana and restoring the bison population, could also be a global visionary, inventing CNN, championing the UN and launching both the Goodwill Games and the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Being American versus being global is a false dichotomy. For America to continue to lead abroad, we need more patriots like Ted Turner who see bringing harmony to a diverse world as their responsibility.
