Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, joins LawZero’s Global Advisory Council | Weekly Voice

MONTRÉAL, March 5, 2026 — LawZero has appointed the Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, to its Global Advisory Council, further reinforcing the organization’s governance as it pursues safe-by-design, highly capable AI systems for the public good.

Dame Jacinda, who led New Zealand from 2017 to 2023, is internationally recognized for her empathetic leadership and steady stewardship through crises. Among her contributions, she co-founded the Christchurch Call, a multi-stakeholder initiative uniting governments, technology companies, and civil society to reduce the spread of terrorist and violent extremist content online—an effort that reflects her commitment to aligning technological progress with societal well-being.

Yoshua Bengio, Co‑President and Scientific Director of LawZero, welcomed the appointment, noting that Dame Jacinda’s record of integrity and her experience with global, technology-related challenges will strengthen the organization’s mission. He emphasized that as LawZero advances safe-by-design AI, the guidance of leaders with deep public-interest experience helps ensure its technical roadmap remains grounded in human values.

Dame Jacinda highlighted the importance of balancing innovation and responsibility, stating that society need not choose between technological advancement and safety. She underscored LawZero’s people-centered approach, aiming to enable governments, businesses, and communities to capture the benefits of AI while reducing its risks.

Strengthening Global Governance for AI

With this appointment, Dame Jacinda joins Stefan Löfven, former Prime Minister of Sweden, on LawZero’s Global Advisory Council. The inclusion of former heads of government underscores LawZero’s intent to embed world-class expertise in policy, stewardship, and ethical leadership into its governance. Positions on the Global Advisory Council are voluntary and unremunerated.

LawZero’s Board of Directors and the Global Advisory Council will work closely to provide strategic oversight and uphold the organization’s mission to develop AI as a global public good. Over the next year, priorities include guiding fundraising and compute strategy and supporting the organization’s growth and presence worldwide.

About LawZero

LawZero is a nonprofit startup developing technical solutions for highly capable, safe-by-design AI systems. Its scientific direction draws on new research and methodologies led by Professor Yoshua Bengio, one of the world’s most cited AI researchers. Based in Montréal, the organization is building a multi-step pathway to safe advanced AI, focused on responsible, equitable development and deployment.

LawZero is supported by a community of donors, including the Gates Foundation, Coefficient Giving, Schmidt Sciences, Future of Life Institute, and Jaan Tallinn via the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The organization was incubated at Mila, an AI research institute founded by Professor Bengio.

Dame Jacinda Ardern: Biographical Notes

• Served as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017–2023), assuming office at age 37.
• Led with an inclusive, empathetic style through significant national challenges, including a live-streamed domestic terror attack targeting New Zealand’s Muslim community, a volcanic eruption, and the COVID‑19 pandemic.
• Advanced a people-first response to crises, including achieving one of the lowest pandemic-related loss-of-life outcomes among developed nations at the time, instituting a ban on military‑style semi‑automatic firearms, and establishing the Christchurch Call to Eliminate Violent Extremism Online, of which she remains Patron.