Government of Timor-Leste

The Presidency of the Council of Ministers, in collaboration with the Presidency of the Republic, will host a Government Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence next Monday, August 24^th, 2026, from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium, Ministry of Finance, Dili, under the theme “Artificial Intelligence for State-Building and National Development”.

The initiative is part of the “Science for Development 2026” Summit and will bring together members of the 9th Constitutional Government and international experts in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and IT infrastructure.

The dialogue aims to foster strategic reflection on the foundations, capabilities, and governance mechanisms required for the responsible, progressive use of artificial intelligence to modernise the State, improve public services, and advance national development.

The participating guest experts include Jack Dongarra, recipient of the 2021 ACM A.M. Turing Award; Richard S. Sutton, recipient of the 2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award; and Torsten Hoefler, winner of the 2024 ACM Prize in Computing.

Jack Dongarra is recognised for his contributions to numerical computation and high-performance computing. Richard S. Sutton is a world-leading authority in reinforcement learning. Torsten Hoefler conducts research in high-performance computing, networking, distributed systems, and infrastructure for large-scale artificial intelligence.

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão will deliver the opening remarks. This will be followed by a presentation session featuring perspectives from the three experts, leading into a dialogue with members of the Government, including statements and a Q&A session. The session will be moderated by Abel Pires da Silva.

Topics for discussion will include the application of artificial intelligence to public administration and public services, data quality and governance, cybersecurity, connectivity, digital infrastructure, national skills development, human oversight, and digital sovereignty. The dialogue will also address opportunities for regional and international cooperation to access specialised expertise and advanced computing capabilities.

The initiative aligns with Timor-Leste's broader digital transformation and is expected to provide key inputs for the 2026–2036 Digital Transformation Strategy, the identification of priority artificial intelligence applications in the public sector, and the development of a future national framework in this field.