MCMC senior adviser for operations Zurkarnain Yasin said the conference is intended to align regulators, industry leaders, technology providers and academics around three expected outcomes. The first is a stronger shared understanding of how to address emerging challenges in artificial intelligence (AI) governance, data protection, online safety, and digital trust. The second is the identification of practical policy and regulatory approaches that could keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies while safeguarding consumers. The third is the formation of stronger partnerships to enable coordinated responses to increasingly borderless digital risks. “The real measure of success is not the number of discussions held during the conference, but what happens after the conversations conclude,” Zurkarnain told FMT. He said observers should look for tangible outcomes such as new regulatory frameworks, strengthened industry codes, enhanced cross-border cooperation mechanisms, and the adoption of practical safeguards by digital service providers. However, new regulations and frameworks would take time to develop as they required extensive engagement with various stakeholders whose interests could differ. “In the shorter term, follow-up action could include further deliberations, stakeholder discussions, and regulatory sandbox initiatives arising from ideas or issues raised at the conference,” he said. He said other indicators would include the introduction or enhancement of regulatory instruments, guidelines and codes of practice, as well as increased industry compliance with online safety, consumer protection, and digital trust requirements. Separately, Zurkarnain said digital platforms should provide greater transparency through the publication of safety, enforcement and accountability reports, while organisations should adopt stronger AI governance, risk management, and data protection measures. He said that while enforcement remained an important part of MCMC’s regulatory toolkit, effective digital governance should not be judged solely by penalties or enforcement action. The most meaningful indicators would be safer online environments, stronger protection of personal data and greater accountability