Launch of the Inaugural WITSA Global AI Awards 2026

We are thrilled to announce the official launch of the inaugural WITSA Global AI Awards 2026. This new program is a critical platform for celebrating the future of technology, culminating in a prestigious ceremony during the WITSA Global AI Summit in Taipei this August.

In this era, AI is fundamentally reshaping the global economy. Successful leadership now requires orchestrating human-AI collaboration while maintaining the ethical guardrails that ensure technology serves human benefit. These awards validate and elevate the pioneers of responsible AI, moving the conversation beyond raw capability to meaningful application.

A New Strategic Framework: The 2-Tier Process

The Global AI Awards represent a strategic departure from our traditional centralized model. To ensure local expertise informs our global recognition, we have implemented a two-tier process:

• Tier 1 (National): Member associations take the lead by scouting local innovators and selecting one national nominee per category.
• Tier 2 (Global): A WITSA-appointed Global Judging Panel evaluates these national nominees against an impartial international standard to determine the global winners. As the final judging will take into account the differing levels of AI maturity in WITSA member economies, there may be multiple winners in each category.

Your Global AI Awards Toolkit

To ensure this process is seamless and professional, we have developed a comprehensive toolkit. While the Program Outline serves as your primary "hub" for all links and payment information, it is important to understand the role of each supporting document:

• Standardized Nomination Form: The mandatory template for all applicants to ensure the Global Panel receives consistent data.
• Scoring Rubric & Evaluation Form: A pre-populated tool for your association to score candidates using our mandatory 30/30/20/20 weighted criteria (Impact, Scalability, Innovation, and Proven Solution).
• Member Guidance Notes: Your operational roadmap, providing step-by-step instructions for running your national selection process.
• Promotional Toolkit ("Why Nominate?"): Persuasive marketing document designed to help you pitch the awards to your top-tier members and local innovators.
• Member & Applicant FAQs: Standalone guides to answer logistical and technical questions for both your staff and prospective candidates.

Getting Started

The Program Outline is the single source of truth for this program. It contains the category descriptions, the mandatory judging criteria, and direct links to the Stripe payment portal and bank wire invoice for the $100 USD application fee:

• Program Outline
• Award material folder

Critical Deadlines

• Launch Phase: April 22, 2026.
• National Selection: Members have flexibility to set local deadlines, provided they complete their internal evaluations by early July.
• Submission to Secretariat: All national nominees and scoring documentation must be submitted to the Secretariat by July 10, 2026.

This is a unique opportunity to elevate your members as global leaders in the AI era. If you have any questions regarding the categories or the 2-tier process, please contact me directly at ahalvorsen@witsa.org.

We look forward to celebrating your country’s or economy’s finest AI innovators in Taipei!

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