About the Network of Centres of the GPAI Expert Community

Discover GPAI’s Network of Centres of the GPAI Expert Community— CEIMIA in Canada, Inria in France and NICT in Japan — nationally funded hubs working with GPAI to advance AI research.

panel discussion at tokyo gpai innovation workshop

Meet the GPAI Expert Support Centres in Paris, Montreal & Tokyo—driving AI pilots, global multi‑stakeholder collaboration, and responsible AI innovation.

The Innovation Workshop – A space to develop an innovative idea box for projects

On May 28th and 29th, 2025, the Innovation Workshop was hosted by the Tokyo Centre at NICT as a GPAI-associated project, specifically in the context of the transitional year GPAI is undergoing. The event, co-organised by the Network of Centres, brought together over 170 participants, including GPAI experts, government representatives, and leading specialists in the fields of AI policy, research, and innovation.

The annual Innovation Workshop provides a platform for experts and representatives from around the world to discuss key themes in the AI governance landscape. Together, they develop relevant initiatives that address shared priorities based on the results of a pre-event consultation with members and experts.

The 2025 edition featured plenary sessions such as a keynote speech and panel discussions, as well as thematic workshop sessions. A total of 12 groups across four key themes were formed: (1) the utilization of AI in the Global South and the strengthening of domestic and global AI ecosystems; (2) interoperability of international AI governance frameworks; (3) multilingual and multicultural AI; and (4) open-source AI. Each group engaged in in-depth and cross-cutting discussions, collaboratively designing solution-oriented projects to advance human-centered and responsible AI. 

The Innovation Workshop process is a cornerstone of the Centres’ mission, as it creates a space to explore avenues that directly inform the reflection in developing and leading applied projects.

GPAI-associated projects

  • The Centres are developing experimental and applied projects in complementarity to the GPAI brand through their exploratory, use-case-based approach. The GPAI-associated projects are designed to develop applied outputs anchored through an evidence-based dynamic and oriented by scientific advisors.
  • The strength of the integrated partnership is combining consensus policy-oriented projects through the GPAI brand and exploratory applied implementation initiatives through the associated brand. This is a distinctive element of the GPAI framework in the international conversation; it federates the existing knowledge of scientists and practitioners to support consensus.

Opportunities for contributions

  • GPAI Members can get involved with the GPAI-associated projects by providing use cases that feed into the projects, by pilot testing actionable tools developed, or by submitting project initiatives to be carried out under the GPAI-associated portfolio.