Governance

This layer assesses the institutional and regulatory foundations that enable trustworthy, transparent and accountable use of AI across society. It captures the maturity of national AI strategies and leadership, the coherence of policy coordination across government, and the existence of robust legal and regulatory frameworks. It also evaluates the capacity of both public and private institutions to govern AI responsibly, supported by standards, assurance mechanisms and ethical oversight. Finally, it considers civic participation and international engagement, whether a country's governance of AI reflects democratic legitimacy at home and influence abroad.