Distinguished Speakers Announced for BGF Conference – November 4, 2025

Distinguished Speakers Announced for BGF Conference – November 4, 2025

Harvard University Loeb House, Cambridge, MA

The Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS) are proud to announce an exceptional lineup of distinguished speakers for the upcoming BGF Conference on November 4, 2025, titled “Honoring World Leaders, Advancing AI Ethics in Finance, and Esteeming Digital Assets.”

Kanetsugu Mike, President of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) Bank), will deliver a keynote address on advancing AI ethics in finance under the Boston Finance Accord for AI Governance 24/7. As the head of one of the world’s largest financial institutions, Mr. Mike brings unique insights into responsible innovation and global financial stability in the AI Age.

Professor Tarun Khanna, Harvard Business School, will share his expertise on global entrepreneurship, innovation, and the intersection of ethics and finance in emerging markets. His research and teaching on strategy, innovation, and business in developing countries have shaped leaders worldwide.

Álvaro Rodríguez Arregui, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IGNIA, will also join as a featured speaker. IGNIA, the first venture capital fund in Mexico, invests in entrepreneurs solving pressing challenges for Latin America’s emerging middle class. Mr. Rodríguez Arregui’s work has received wide recognition: the PODER-ABC Business Award (2011), inclusion in Forbes’ Top 30 Social Entrepreneurs of the World (2012), the YPO SEN Sustainability Award on Economic Justice/Community Impact, and the National Entrepreneurship Award presented by the President of Mexico (2014).

Together, these speakers represent a dynamic intersection of finance, academia, and entrepreneurial innovation. Their contributions will help shape the global conversation on ethical finance, digital assets, and the future of AI governance, key pillars of the BGF–AIWS vision for a safer, fairer, and more enlightened world.

Mitsubishi Bank CEO Kanetsugu Mike

Four Pillars Roundup: BGF Statement on the Four Pillars for Peace, Security, and Innovation

Four Pillars Roundup: BGF Statement on the Four Pillars for Peace, Security, and Innovation

The Boston Global Forum (BGF) affirms that in this moment of historic transition, the Four Pillars of Democracy—the United States, Japan, India, and the European Union–United Kingdom—must act together with urgency and clarity to secure peace, stability, and prosperity for humanity.

The Situation and Challenges
The world faces profound threats: the continuing war in Ukraine, aggressive actions and coercive policies from authoritarian states, economic disruptions from fragile supply chains, and growing risks of technological misuse in the Age of AI. Many democracies continue to trade with regimes that undermine peace and stability, weakening their own collective position. Without unity, the Four Pillars risk fragmentation, leaving space for authoritarian powers to reshape global rules to their advantage.

What Must Be Done
The Four Pillars must consolidate their strength and act in unison through four dimensions:

  1. Economy and Business – Build trusted, democratic supply chains; reduce dependency on Russia and China; and create an economic front that makes aggression unsustainable.
  2. Innovation and Technology – Lead in AI, chips, digital assets, and emerging technologies with frameworks that emphasize ethics, transparency, and human dignity. Establish common innovation standards to set the pace for the global economy.
  3. Security and Peace – Deepen defense and intelligence cooperation, ensuring credible deterrence while pursuing diplomatic pathways that uphold the sovereignty and security of all nations.
  4. Values and Governance – Promote democracy, rule of law, and human rights as guiding principles for global partnerships. Together, the Four Pillars must show that democratic cooperation delivers stability, prosperity, and peace.

Call to Action
The Boston Global Forum calls on leaders of the United States, Japan, India, and the EU–UK to take bold, coordinated action now. Their shared responsibility is not only to defend their own citizens but also to offer the world a model of peace and security grounded in economy, business, and innovation—anchored by democratic values.

The Four Pillars, united, can define the future: a world where peace is preserved, innovation serves humanity, and democracy prevails in the Age of AI.

Albania’s Digital Revolution: Diella, the world’s first AI Minister

Albania’s Digital Revolution: Diella, the world’s first AI Minister

The AI World Society (AIWS) recognizes Albania’s bold step in pioneering a digital revolution through the introduction of Diella, the world’s first AI Minister, as a landmark in the history and culture of AI governance.

As reported in Technology.org, Diella represents not only a technological innovation but also a profound cultural shift: the use of AI to combat corruption, increase transparency, and strengthen democracy. By applying AI to governance with ethics and responsibility, Albania is aligning itself with the vision of AIWS Government 24/7—a new model of governance in the Age of AI that ensures accountability, fairness, and continuous public service.

This historic moment will be remembered as a turning point in the AI Age, when a nation harnessed artificial intelligence not as a tool of control, but as an instrument of liberation and reform. Albania’s example inspires the global community to embrace AI with courage, creativity, and ethical guidance—laying the foundation for a more transparent, just, and democratic society.

In the culture of AIWS, Diella symbolizes the promise of technology when combined with human values: to serve humanity, safeguard dignity, and break the grip of corruption. 

https://www.technology.org/2025/09/12/albanias-digital-revolution-meet-diella-the-ai-minister-breaking-corruptions-grip/

AI Is Changing the Structure of Consulting Firms

AI Is Changing the Structure of Consulting Firms

By David S. Duncan, Tyler Anderson, and Jeffrey Saviano – Harvard Business Review, September 2025

Artificial intelligence is not just a tool for consultants—it is transforming the very structure of consulting firms. According to Duncan, Anderson, and Saviano, AI is reshaping how firms organize, deliver value, and engage with clients.

Traditionally, consulting has relied on a pyramid model of partners, managers, and associates, with large teams performing research and analysis. AI now automates much of this work—data collection, benchmarking, and even strategy simulation—flattening the pyramid and reducing reliance on junior consultants. This shift is leading firms toward leaner, more networked structures, where senior experts and AI systems work together to deliver insights faster and more efficiently.

The authors argue that AI empowers firms to move from reactive problem-solving to continuous, predictive strategy, offering clients real-time solutions and governance models rather than episodic reports. It also enables new business models: subscription-based advisory services, AI-enhanced platforms, and partnerships that merge technology with human expertise.

For the BGF–AIWS Family, this evolution highlights a broader truth: AI is not only transforming industries, but also the culture of leadership and governance. As consulting firms adopt flatter, AI-integrated structures, they become a model for how institutions—including governments—can adapt to the AIWS Government 24/7 framework: continuous, ethical, and responsive service in the Age of AI.

📖 Full article available on Harvard Business Review: “AI Is Changing the Structure of Consulting Firms”

https://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-is-changing-the-structure-of-consulting-firms

2025 State of the Union Address – Ursula von der Leyen

2025 State of the Union Address – Ursula von der Leyen

2020 World Leader for Peace and Security Award Recipient

On September 10, 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, recipient of the 2020 World Leader for Peace and Security Award, delivered her final State of the Union Address before the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

In her speech, von der Leyen emphasized the urgency of defending democracy, securing Europe’s future, and advancing strategic autonomy in a time of growing geopolitical challenges. She highlighted Europe’s solidarity with Ukraine, the need to strengthen European defense through initiatives like the SAFE instrument, and the importance of reducing dependence on authoritarian powers.

Von der Leyen also outlined priorities for the digital and green transitions, focusing on AI, energy security, and technological innovation as central to Europe’s competitiveness and resilience. She underlined that Europe must remain a trustworthy global leader, promoting peace, sustainability, and human dignity while working closely with allies across the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.

For the Boston Global Forum–AIWS Family, this speech reinforces von der Leyen’s enduring role as a leader and a cherished member of our Family, bridging peace, democracy, and technology governance. Her vision resonates deeply with the mission of AIWS to create an ethical, human-centered society in the Age of AI

📖 Full speech available on the European Commission website: State of the Union Address 2025

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_25_2053

Yasuhide Nakayama and Vibhav Kant Upadhyay Visit Vietnam for Key Meetings on Shinzo Abe Film

Yasuhide Nakayama and Vibhav Kant Upadhyay Visit Vietnam for Key Meetings on Shinzo Abe Film

Boston Global Forum (BGF) leaders and close collaborators of the Shinzo Abe InitiativeYasuhide Nakayama, former Japanese State Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs, and Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, visionary Indian leader and strategist—visited Vietnam for important meetings related to the Shinzo Abe Film, a flagship project of the AIWS Film Park.

On September 16 and 17, 2025, Nakayama and Upadhyay joined Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-founder and Co-Chair of BGF, in Nha Trang to hold discussions with Vietnamese leaders and cultural representatives. The meetings focused on advancing the production of the Shinzo Abe Film, which will honor the late Prime Minister’s enduring legacy of peace, security, and democratic cooperation, while also highlighting Nha Trang as a rising center of cultural and technological innovation in the Age of AI.

The visit also included dialogues on strengthening Vietnam’s engagement in AIWS initiatives such as AIWS Government 24/7, AIWS Digital Assets, and the AIWS Music for Humanity Forum.

This collaboration marks another step in ensuring that Shinzo Abe’s vision—particularly his commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and to fostering peace and security worldwide—lives on through culture, film, and innovation.

Boston Global Forum Open to Collaborate with Universities to Realize AIWS

Boston Global Forum Open to Collaborate with Universities to Realize AIWS

The Boston Global Forum (BGF), founder of the AI World Society (AIWS) in 2017, affirms its commitment to collaborate with universities around the world to advance the vision of an ethical, human-centered, and innovative society in the Age of AI.

Universities are the engines of knowledge, creativity, and ethical inquiry. By partnering with academic institutions, BGF seeks to bring the AIWS initiatives—including AIWS Government 24/7, the Boston Finance Accord, AIWS Digital Assets, AIWS Music for Humanity, and the AIWS Film Park—into practice. Together, we can nurture future leaders, create pioneering research, and develop concrete solutions for the great challenges of our time.

BGF welcomes partnerships that combine the strength of academic research with the global network of policymakers, innovators, and thought leaders who guide AIWS. Through joint programs, forums, and innovation labs, BGF and universities can co-create a New Democracy in the Age of AI, ensuring that advanced technologies serve humanity with ethics, dignity, and compassion.

BGF has already engaged outstanding students from top universities through the Enlightenment in Action Alliance (EAA), launched at the AI Action Summit in Paris (February 2025). We look forward to expanding this collaboration and inviting more universities to join in shaping the future of AI for humanity.

Defining the future of digital assets with ethics, governance, and humanity

Defining the future of digital assets with ethics, governance, and humanity

On November 4, 2025, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS) will convene a landmark conference at Harvard University’s Loeb House to shape the ethical and governance future of digital assets in the AI Age.

This special gathering will bring together world leaders, policymakers, innovators, and financial executives to address one of the defining challenges of our time: ensuring that digital assets — from cryptocurrencies to AIWS Digital Assets — evolve under ethical, transparent, and human-centered frameworks.

Key discussions will advance the Boston Finance Accord for AI Governance 24/7 and propose shared governance standards for digital assets that safeguard inclusion, trust, and global cooperation. Highlights will include:

  • Presentation of the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award and celebration of the award’s 10th anniversary.
  • Panels featuring distinguished experts from Harvard, MIT, Microsoft, MUFG, and global institutions on AI ethics in finance and digital ecosystems.
  • Launch of World Leader NFTs, pioneering the idea of esteemed digital values to preserve leadership legacies.

The conference will stand as a defining moment for digital assets — setting out how they can contribute not only to financial innovation, but also to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Age of AI.

IBM and AMD Join Forces on Quantum and Next-Generation Computing

IBM and AMD Join Forces on Quantum and Next-Generation Computing

A landmark partnership was announced on August 26, 2025, as IBM and AMD revealed plans to combine their strengths in AI accelerators, quantum computing, and high-performance computing (HPC) to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges.

The collaboration aims to create integrated computing platforms capable of advancing climate modeling, biomedical research, supply chain resilience, and national security. By merging AMD’s expertise in high-performance processors and accelerators with IBM’s leadership in quantum systems and AI research, the two companies envision a future where computing power can drive transformative breakthroughs.

This initiative aligns closely with the AI World Society (AIWS) vision of leveraging frontier technologies for humanity’s benefit. It demonstrates how public–private partnerships in advanced computing can lay the foundation for AIWS Government 24/7, ensuring that innovation is guided by ethics, responsibility, and a focus on solving global problems.

📖 Full coverage:

https://newsroom.ibm.com/2025-08-26-ibm-and-amd-join-forces-to-build-the-future-of-computing

https://www.amd.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-8-26-ibm-and-amd-join-forces-to-build-the-future-o.html