RIYADH, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 4th Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) opened in Riyadh on Tuesday, where delegates discussed aligning AI development with safety and responsibility requirements.

Co-hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Saudi Arabia, the forum runs until Thursday, bringing together government officials, representatives of technology firms as well as experts and researchers.

"AI is advancing at unprecedented speed, while governance struggles to keep pace," Asa Regner, deputy director-general of UNESCO, said at the opening ceremony.

Regner stressed the need for stronger global cooperation and equitable participation in AI governance, adding that the forum will explore how to turn AI ethical principles into practical implementation.

Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and AI Authority, said at the ceremony that countries should pursue AI governance based on common principles while tailoring policies to their own national priorities and cultural contexts.

"We need to work together, turn shared principles into action and make AI governance inclusive, accountable and people centered," he said.

Since its inception in 2022, the forum has convened global stakeholders from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector to advance dialogue and cooperation on the ethical governance of AI.