Group photo of attending experts
On the afternoon of October 22, 2025, the Advisory Committee Meeting of the International Centre for Creativity and Sustainable Development under the auspices of UNESCO (hereinafter referred to as the "ICCSD") was held in Beijing. The attending guests engaged in in-depth discussions around the theme of "Artificial Intelligence Empowering Culture Diversity and Sustainable Development," for follow-up action to the outcome document of MONDIACULT 2025, held in Barcelona, where ICCSD was represented.
The meeting was hosted by Xiao Lan, Executive Director of ICCSD, and Hans d'Orville, Former UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning, and Chairman of ICCSD Advisory Committee. Twelve Advisory Committee members and experts from six countries attended the meeting, including Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia; Mehri Madarshahi, Former UN Senior Economist, Visiting Professor at South China University of Technology, and President of the Global Cultural Network; Zhang Xiaoming, Professor at the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Director of the Cultural Policy Committee, China Association of Policy Science (CAPS); Zhu Xufeng, Professor and Dean of School of Public Policy and Management, Executive Dean of Institute for Sustainable Development Goals, Tsinghua University; Zeng Yi, Professor and Director of Brain-inspired Cognitive AI Lab at Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Member of United Nations (UN) Advisory Body on AI, Expert of UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group on AI Ethics; Han Qunli, Former Secretary-General of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB); Gábor Soós, Secretary General of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary; Richard Leaver, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Visiting Professor at Hainan University, and World-Renowned Expert in Artificial Intelligence; Wang Ning, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, Composition Department of the China Conservatory of Music; Contemporary Chinese Artist Shen Jingdong; and Xue Lei, Visiting Professor at the School of Arts at Renmin University of China. Deng Mingwen, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Sustainability Tribun, sat in on the meeting.
Conference site
Xiao Lan delivers a speech
Xiao Lan, Executive Director of ICCSD, introduced the participation of the ICCSD's Advisory Committee Chairman Dr. Hans d'Orville and Committee Member Mehri Madarshahi in the UNESCO MONDIACULT 2025. He emphasized that this meeting aims to respond to the spirit of the Barcelona Declaration, deeply explore how artificial intelligence can provide innovative solutions for the protection of cultural diversity and the implementation of the SDGs. At the same time, Xiao Lan stated that the ICCSD will continue to expand interdisciplinary international cooperation in the future and to seek ongoing support and cooperation from experts.
Hans d'Orville delivers a speech
Hans d'Orville, Former UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning, Chairman of ICCSD Advisory Committee, emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) presents both significant opportunities and challeng6es, highlighting AI's vast potential in cultural heritage preservation, artistic creation, and the enhancement of cultural diversity. He particularly mentioned that culture is not only an independent dimension of sustainable development but also a vital bridge connecting the economic, social, and environmental sectors, pointing out that AI should be used to strengthen the connection. Furthermore, he called on attendees to put forward concrete recommendations for the ICCSD's future key projects, translating consensus into tangible actions to jointly support the continued growth of ICCSD.
Prof. Shahbaz Khan delivers a speech
Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, emphasized that AI is becoming a critical force driving the deep integration of the cultural and creative industries with sustainable development goals. He highly praised the ICCSD's significant contributions to these endeavors, particularly its constructive role in implementing the outcomes of the UNESCO MONDIACULT 2025 and building global public goods for cultural policy. He also noted UNESCO’s firm commitment to promoting the innovative use and ethical governance of AI technologies, while acknowledging China’s leading role in AI capacity building and solutions.
Mehri Madarshahi delivers a speech
Mehri Madarshahi, Former UN Senior Economist, Visiting Professor at South China University of Technology, and President of the Global Cultural Network, reviewed the key elements of the MONDIACULT 2025 Outcome Documents. She referred in particular to the focus areas of culture and peace, culture and education, culture and employment, culture and digitalization, culture and AI. Regarding Culture and Climate change, she pointed out that culture is not merely a supplementary component of the sustainable development goals but a vital pillar contributing to the global development agenda. As affirmed by the clear principle reached during the deliberations in Barcelona: sustainability without culture is unsustainable. She stressed that in the digital space, cultural outcomes require measurable standards and that cultural rights must be safeguarded as fundamental rights accessible to all. Mehri Madarshahi stated that climate change intersects with multiple aspects of cultural life, and conversely, cultural influences, heritage, knowledge systems, and social practices collectively impact environmental sustainability.
Han Qunli delivers a speech
Han Qunli, Former Secretary-General of UNESCO’s "Man and the Biosphere Programme", noted that science and culture are the two fundamental pillars of sustainable development. Regarding AI, he pointed out that while it is a powerful tool with increasingly enhanced creative capabilities, increased attention must be given to the transformative and ethical challenges it presents. He particularly mentioned the immense potential of digital technologies and AI in the digitization, restoration, and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. Han Qunli hoped that the ICCSD will continue to produce research and innovative outcomes empowered by AI in the future.
Zeng Yi delivers a speech
Zeng Yi, Professor and Director of Brain-inspired Cognitive AI Lab at Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Member of United Nations (UN) Advisory Body on AI, Expert of UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group on AI Ethics, stated that global research on the intersection of artificial intelligence and the SDGs remains seriously underdeveloped, with particularly few studies exploring the relationship between AI and culture. He stressed the necessity of advancing AI as a complementary tool rather than a replacement within the cultural sector. Zeng Yi also warned of a growing cultural inclusivity crisis in AI development: mainstream models heavily rely on data in English, resulting in poor performance when addressing multicultural issues. In response, he strongly advocated for the development of "culture-driven" AI, encouraging countries to build inclusive digital platforms grounded in their indigenous cultural capacities.
Gábor Soós delivers a speech
Gábor Soós, Secretary-General of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO，Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, pointed out the important role of AI in bridging past and present in cultural heritage preservation. He noted that the core challenge in AI development lies in ensuring adherence to ethical standards while maintaining cultural diversity. He stressed that AI is a fundamental tool, and digital transformation must remain centered on people and culture.
Shen Jingdong delivers a speech
Contemporary Chinese Artist Shen Jingdong elaborated on the profound impact of AI on artistic creation from the perspective of art history evolution. He observed that although the full impact of AI has yet to be realized, it has already prompted the art community to reconsider the intrinsic value of creation. He suggested that contemporary artists embrace AI as it can be seen either as a collaborative partner that sparks creativity or as a tool that preserves uniquely human emotional expression. This approach reflects the inclusivity of the cultural ecosystem in line with the principles of sustainable development, he added.
Zhu Xufeng delivers a speech
Zhu Xufeng, Professor and Dean of School of Public Policy and Management, Executive Dean of Institute for Sustainable Development Goals, Tsinghua University, highlighted the powerful potential of AI in system optimization, promoting cross-cultural dialogue, and environmental protection. However, he also pointed out the significant energy consumption challenges, noting that training language models produces a substantial carbon footprint, as the demand for high-performance hardware continues to drive up electricity usage. As a leader in AI research and development, China bears the responsibility to contribute to global governance by supporting capacity-building in developing countries and fostering digital innovation, so as to create an AI development pathway that embraces cultural diversity and ethical standards, ensuring technology serves the common wellbeing of humanity, he stated.
Wang Ning delivers a speech
Wang Ning, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, Composition Department of the China Conservatory of Music, stated that music practice can respond effectively to global challenges by promoting environmental awareness and transforming it into shared emotional resonance among millions. He emphasized the role of art in building bridges of peace. Addressing the challenges of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, Wang Ning emphasized that transmission must preserve authenticity without the slightest alteration, while innovation can take alternative paths and be better expressed. This approach offers a fresh perspective for the protection of living cultural heritage.
Xue Lei delivers a speech
Xue Lei, Visiting Professor at the School of Arts of Renmin University of China, highlighted the symbiotic relationship between AI and culture through interdisciplinary practice. He emphasized that artists need to engage in a "dialogue between living beings" with AI. Citing public art projects such as the digital revitalization of the old train station in Jinan, he pointed out that the complex emotions beyond algorithmic quantification are the essential codes for the continuity of human civilization.
Richard Leaver delivers a speech
Richard Leaver, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Visiting Professor at Hainan University, and World-Renowned Expert in the Field of Artificial Intelligence, elaborated on the technical pathways and ethical frameworks for AI-empowered cultural heritage preservation. Addressing the risks of cultural bias in technology applications, he particularly mentioned China’s Tongyi Qianwen model for its multilingual processing capabilities, which provide technical solutions to mitigate algorithmic discrimination.
Zhang Xiaoming delivers a speech
Zhang Xiaoming, Professor at the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Director of the Cultural Policy Committee, China Association of Policy Science (CAPS), revealed through hands-on experience the core contradiction in AI development: it is not computational power but the quality and inclusiveness of training data that fundamentally determine AI's value. In response to the rapid advancement of AI technologies, he called for the establishment of ethical and culturally compliant databases to ensure that technological progress truly serves the preservation of civilization rather than allowing algorithmic biases to distort cultural memory.
During the meeting, Hans d'Orville, Chairman of ICCSD Advisory Committee, presented letters of appointment to Zeng Yi, Professor and Director of Brain-inspired Cognitive AI Lab at Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Member of United Nations (UN) Advisory Body on AI, Expert of UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group on AI Ethics, and Han Qunli, Former Secretary-General of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), to appoint them as members of the ICCSD Advisory Committee.
Chairman Hans d’Orville highlighted that the meeting benefitted from the participation of three outstanding cultural and artistic personalities. This allowed a more in-depth conversation about the role of music, the arts and the video/AI tools, which in the MONDIACULT document had all been summarized as culture professionals and workers.
During the discussion, participants identified four areas that could be further communicated to UNESCO as case studies or portfolio elements for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Hans d'Orville presents a letter of appointment to Zeng Yi (left)
Hans d'Orville presents a letter of appointment to Han Qunli (right)
The Advisory Committee also reviewed project proposals for research study on AI Empowering Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development, a collection of projects relevant to Case Collection on Protecting and Promoting the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment and the proposal for International Student Film and Video Festival AIGC. Lastly, members of the Advisory Committee received a questionnaire regarding their views and suggestions for future orientations and initiatives by ICCSD. The meeting served as a valuable platform for dialogue, fostered consensus among stakeholders, and provided new momentum for the ICCSD to harness AI in promoting global cultural diversity and advancing sustainable development goals.
