John Higgins

John Higgins

John Higgins is chair of the International AI Governance Association (IAGA). The Association aims to enhance harmonisation and reduce fragmentation in AI governance across different regions and geographies and to increase coherence between horizontal and sector-based approaches to AI governance. IAGA also encourages the development of AI standards and certification that support our vision of global consensus. It promotes robust usable industry good practice in global AI governance and facilitates global market access for AI products and services. It organises an annual International AI governance round table with unique multi-stakeholder participation.

John speaks at events and participates in fora concerned with effective and responsible use of AI.

He became the public face of the digital sector in Europe in November 2011 speaking regularly on platforms and at conferences throughout Europe and beyond as Director General of DIGITALEUROPE, the association for the digital technology industry in Europe. He led the association until April 2017, following nine years as head of its UK member, Intellect, now TechUK. He is a former President of the BCS, the UK’s Chartered Institute of IT. He is co-founder since 2017 and chair of the Global Digital Foundation.

In spring of 2017 he became a Senior Advisor to global communications company, Burson, Cohn & Wolfe for digital and AI. He chairs the Advisory Board of Eutopia, a consortium of ten European Universities.

The Queen appointed him a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005 for his services to the UK IT industry.

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  • Organization
    International AI Governance Association (IAGA)
  • Profession
    Co-Lead of the Standards Promotion Program of SC on AI
Related sessions
In person
7 July 2026
14:00 - 16:00
EST - New York
CST - Beijing
PST - Los Angeles
AWST - Perth, Australia
In person
9 July 2025
09:00 - 12:15
EST - New York
CST - Beijing
PST - Los Angeles
AWST - Perth, Australia

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