We invite our global community to join virtually via an interactive livestream.
Register now to reserve your spot and get updates.
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Date:
Thursday | December 4, 2025
Time:
9:00am - 6:00pm CET (followed by a reception for in-person participants)
Location:
In-person: 61 Whitehall, London, United Kingdom (invitation-only)
Online: Zoom Event (open to the public)
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The advent of powerful, general–purpose AI has dramatically altered the global landscape. These technologies are advancing faster, being deployed more widely, and becoming more deeply embedded in the systems that govern our lives, from politics and the economy to security and the law.
And yet, just as the stakes grow more serious, the momentum for global coordination has stalled. In 2025, the geopolitical climate is tense, divided, and increasingly competitive. Still, the underlying stakes persist. In fact, they are growing more urgent and more complex.
The Athens Roundtable was created for moments like this. As a neutral, credible, and action-oriented forum, it provides space to take on the most pressing governance questions: honestly, directly, and without performative consensus.
Our motto for the year: ignoring what’s at stake is not an option.
If the world fails to build robust AI governance rules, we risk serious incidents that could cross borders, overwhelm safeguards, and impact generations to come. But if we succeed, we can lay the foundations for a safer, fairer, and more resilient future.
This is the moment to act collectively with clarity, urgency, and imagination.
This year’s Roundtable will focus on the questions that often go unasked and unanswered in global AI governance.
Our high-level goals are to:
i) Stress-test the current status of global AI governance. We’ll cut through the noise to examine AI’s technical blindspots, policy constraints, and geopolitical tensions. As AI systems evolve and the global landscape shifts, many existing AI governance efforts, from voluntary principles to regulatory frameworks, now face real tests of relevance and durability. We’ll take a critical look at what’s working, what isn’t, and what might be needed next.
ii) Bridge divides in today’s fragmented ecosystem. At a time when trust is eroding and multilateralism is under strain, we will foster candid dialogue across geographic, institutional, and ideological lines: from East and West, from the Global South, from governments and AI labs, and from civil society and affected communities.
iii) Explore new avenues for international coordination. Through dedicated breakout tracks, we’ll discuss concrete ways to work together on two urgent priorities:
Unacceptable AI risks - Build shared understanding of unacceptable risks posed by AI systems and explore viable diplomatic pathways toward international agreement, oversight, and verification.
Serious incident prevention and preparedness - Identify the institutional capabilities needed to track, monitor, and respond to serious AI incidents; and strengthen international coordination on prevention and preparedness frameworks before AI incidents escalate.
More information coming soon.
