Atlas AI Institute · Research

Research That Shapes the Future of AI Governance

Independent research on AI policy, digital sovereignty, institutional capacity, responsible AI, public-interest technology, and emerging technology risks across Bangladesh, South Asia, and the Global South.

EVIDENCE → ANALYSIS → FRAMEWORKS → GOVERNANCE

Explore Research ↓ Explore Frameworks →

Global South Research Network · Live Policy Intelligence

01 · Research Mission

Research for a More Governable AI Future

Atlas AI Institute conducts independent research examining how artificial intelligence intersects with governance, institutions, infrastructure, development, information integrity, and digital sovereignty. Our work is designed to help policymakers, regulators, researchers, and institutions turn rapidly changing AI developments into clear, actionable governance intelligence.

AI Governance

Policy, regulation, accountability, risk, and institutional governance.

Digital Sovereignty

Compute, data infrastructure, interoperability, and technological autonomy.

Global South Policy

Governance models designed around the realities of developing and emerging economies.

Public-Interest AI

Responsible AI systems that strengthen communities, governance, and public trust.

02 · Research Intelligence

The Atlas Research Intelligence

Current Research Works

Global South

Primary Research Perspective

Bangladesh

Core Research Environment

AI Governance

Central Research Domain

03 · Research Spotlight · Jun 2026

Featured Work

AI Governance · Digital Sovereignty

FULL
TEXT
AVAILABLE

Research · Author: Nafiul Ahmad Rafi · Atlas AI Institute

Infrastructure as Sovereignty: Why Compute Autonomy is a Prerequisite for Regional AI Development

Presents the Atlas Global South AI Policy Framework (AG-SAIPF) v1.0 — a development-first paradigm addressing the structural divide between high-income nations and the Global South in AI capability. Examines how current international regulatory models, designed for mature digital infrastructures, systematically disadvantage emerging economies, and proposes a comprehensive framework for responsible, inclusive AI governance across Global South nations covering digital sovereignty, data governance, AI risk management, and public-sector AI deployment.

Compute AutonomyAG-SAIPFDigital SovereigntyGlobal South AIAI Governance

Cite this work — Rafi, N.A. (2026). Infrastructure as Sovereignty: Why Compute Autonomy is a Prerequisite for Regional AI Development. Atlas AI Institute / ResearchGate.

Full-Text Available Read on ResearchGate →

04 · Research Domains

What We Research

05 · Research Library

Research Library

Independent research, policy frameworks, technical reports, and governance analysis from Atlas AI Institute.

★ Flagship Publication

01Research2026

AI Governance · Global Comparative Policy

Global AI Policy Review 2026: A Comparative Assessment of National AI Policy Ecosystems Across 75+ Countries

Global AI Policy Review 2026 is a large-scale comparative research study by Atlas AI Institute examining national AI policy ecosystems across 75+ countries and six continents. The review analyzes national AI strategies, legislation, regulatory frameworks, governance institutions, data governance, innovation policy, AI safety, ethics, rights, and international engagement through an evidence-based comparative framework. With more than 2,500 pages of research, the study maps how countries are building institutional and policy foundations for governing artificial intelligence. Rather than ranking countries, the Review focuses on understanding the evolving global AI governance landscape and making policy development across both developed and Global South economies more visible, comparable, and evidence-based.

Scope: 75+ countriesCoverage: 6 continentsLength: 2,500+ pagesPublisher: Atlas AI Institute

Global AI Policy Review75+ CountriesComparative Policy AnalysisAI GovernanceInternational Engagement

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). Global AI Policy Review 2026: A Comparative Assessment of National AI Policy Ecosystems Across 75+ Countries. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22090518

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22090518

Full-Text AvailableView on Zenodo →

★ Flagship Publication

02Research2026

AI Governance · Policy Maturity Benchmarking

Global AI Policy Maturity Index (GAPMI) 2026: A Comparative Assessment of AI Governance Across Ten Leading AI Nations

The Global AI Policy Maturity Index (GAPMI) 2026 introduces an original comparative framework for assessing AI governance maturity across ten leading AI nations. The report evaluates national AI governance using ten policy dimensions, including strategy, institutions, regulation, responsible AI, risk management, innovation ecosystems, workforce development, public sector AI, and international cooperation. Drawing on official government documents, legislation, regulatory frameworks, and international standards, GAPMI provides a structured maturity index, comparative rankings, governance archetypes, policy recommendations, and future scenarios. The framework is intended to support policymakers, researchers, international organizations, and academic institutions in benchmarking AI governance systems and identifying governance gaps.

Scope: 10 countriesDimensions: 10 policy dimensionsLength: 70+ pagesAccess: Open Access · Zenodo · ResearchGate

GAPMIAI Policy Maturity IndexTen Leading AI NationsGovernance BenchmarkingPolicy Dimensions

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). Global AI Policy Maturity Index (GAPMI) 2026: A Comparative Assessment of AI Governance Across Ten Leading AI Nations. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21364485

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21364485

Full-Text AvailableView on Zenodo →

03ResearchJun 2026

AI Governance · Digital Sovereignty

Infrastructure as Sovereignty: Why Compute Autonomy is a Prerequisite for Regional AI Development

Compute AutonomyAG-SAIPFDigital SovereigntyGlobal South AIAI Governance

Cite this work — Rafi, N.A. (2026). Infrastructure as Sovereignty: Why Compute Autonomy is a Prerequisite for Regional AI Development. Atlas AI Institute / ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

04PreprintJun 2026

AI Policy · Global South

Atlas Global South AI Policy Framework (AG-SAIPF) Version 1.0 — Full Framework Document

The complete AG-SAIPF Version 1.0 policy framework document — a comprehensive blueprint for responsible, inclusive, and development-oriented AI governance across Global South countries. Covers digital sovereignty, data governance architecture, AI risk management protocols, public-sector AI deployment guidelines, and institutional capacity-building pathways.

AG-SAIPF v1.0AI Policy FrameworkData GovernanceRisk Management

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). Atlas Global South AI Policy Framework (AG-SAIPF) Version 1.0. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

05PreprintMay 2026

Governance Capacity · Developing Economies

The AI Readiness Trap: Why Infrastructure Investment Without Governance Capacity Endangers Developing Economies

Identifies and theorises a structural misalignment in AI policy across developing nations — the "AI Readiness Trap" — where rapid investment in data centres, connectivity, and computing capacity systematically outpaces the institutional capacity required to govern these technologies. Argues that infrastructure-first approaches without parallel governance-building create systemic vulnerability, regulatory capture risk, and sovereign data exposure in low-capacity states.

AI ReadinessGovernance CapacityInfrastructure GapDeveloping EconomiesDigital Risk

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). The AI Readiness Trap: Why Infrastructure Investment Without Governance Capacity Endangers Developing Economies. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

06Technical ReportMay 2026

Africa · AI Governance · Development Paradox

Artificial Intelligence Governance in Africa: Bridging the Development-Governance Paradox Through Digital Sovereignty and Localized Innovation

A comprehensive diagnostic assessment and strategic roadmap for AI governance across 14 diverse African nations. Addresses the critical "Development-Governance Paradox": the challenge of harnessing AI's transformative economic potential while mitigating systemic governance risk. Provides country-specific recommendations for regulatory architecture, digital sovereignty protection, and localized AI innovation ecosystems.

Africa AI14 NationsDigital SovereigntyGovernance Paradox

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). AI Governance in Africa: Bridging the Development-Governance Paradox. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

07Technical ReportMay 2026

Bangladesh · AI Systems · Governance Failure

AI-Powered Traffic Enforcement in Bangladesh: A Governance Architecture Failure Analysis and Reform Roadmap

Field-based analysis of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) AI traffic enforcement system, launched May 2026 across 25 intersections with planned expansion to 500 locations. Identifies a critical structural flaw: entirely manual case management downstream of AI camera detection, creating systemic bottlenecks, accountability gaps, and due process failures. Proposes a comprehensive governance reform roadmap for responsible AI deployment in law enforcement.

DMP AI EnforcementGovernance FailureDhakaLaw Enforcement AI

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). AI-Powered Traffic Enforcement in Bangladesh: A Governance Architecture Failure Analysis. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

08Technical ReportMay 2026

Humanitarian Finance · INGO Structural Risk

When the Machine Breaks: Single-Donor Dependency & the Structural Collapse of International NGO Operations (2024–2026)

Drawing on audited financial reports from 10 major INGOs and UN system data, this paper documents how single-donor dependency — a structural design flaw six decades in the making — produced the 2025 international humanitarian crisis. Presents fully verified evidence that the collapse was not political but architectural: organisations deriving 40–80% of funding from single bilateral donors had no structural resilience against sudden withdrawal. Includes peer-reviewed modelling of systemic failure cascades.

INGO FinanceDonor DependencyHumanitarian CrisisStructural Risk2024–2026

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). When the Machine Breaks: Single-Donor Dependency & the Structural Collapse of INGO Operations (2024–2026). ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

09ResearchMay 2026

National AI Policy · SIDS · Climate Resilience

National Artificial Intelligence Policy of the Republic of Maldives (2026–2031): Ethical Governance, Climate Resilience, and Economic Transformation

A comprehensive 5-year national AI policy framework for the Maldives as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS). Addresses the unique intersection of climate change, extreme economic concentration in tourism, and geographic fragmentation across 1,200+ islands. Integrates AI governance with climate resilience, maritime monitoring, fisheries optimisation, and economic diversification pathways. Aligned with UNESCO, OECD, and ITU AI frameworks.

MaldivesSIDSNational AI PolicyClimate Resilience2026–2031

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). National AI Policy of the Republic of Maldives (2026–2031). ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

10Technical ReportMay 2026

Bangladesh AI Policy · Gap Analysis

Nagorik AI — Global AI Policy Hub: Comprehensive Gap Analysis of Bangladesh National AI Policy 2025 vs. 2026

A detailed gap analysis comparing Bangladesh's National AI Policy 2025–2030 and the revised National AI Policy 2026–2031 — the two most comprehensive AI governance frameworks produced for Bangladesh. Tracks the transition in governance philosophy, regulatory architecture, institutional responsibility mapping, and enforcement mechanisms. Identifies critical gaps in implementation capacity, algorithmic accountability provisions, and civic participation mechanisms.

Bangladesh AI PolicyGap Analysis2025 vs 2026Nagorik AIPolicy Evolution

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). Nagorik AI: Gap Analysis of Bangladesh National AI Policy 2025 vs 2026. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

11ResearchMay 2026

National AI Policy · MENA · Sovereignty

Toward a Technologically Sovereign Nile: The National Artificial Intelligence Policy of the Arab Republic of Egypt (2026–2031)

Egypt stands at a defining inflection point as Africa's most populous Arab nation and the continent's third-largest economy. This research presents a 5-year national AI policy framework leveraging Egypt's demographic weight and geographic centrality to establish technological sovereignty. Covers AI in public administration, Nile basin resource management, industrial AI, education transformation, and Egypt's role as a continental AI hub for Africa and the Arab world.

Egypt AI PolicyMENATech Sovereignty2026–2031Africa AI Hub

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). Toward a Technologically Sovereign Nile: National AI Policy of the Arab Republic of Egypt (2026–2031). ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

12Technical ReportMay 2026

Bangladesh · Digital Infrastructure · Interoperability

Bangladesh's Tripartite Data Silo Crisis: NID, BDRIS, and CRVS — A Citizen Infrastructure Failure and the Path to Interoperability

Investigates the structural and institutional root causes of Bangladesh's "tripartite silo crisis" — the functional disconnection between the National Identity Database (NID), the Birth and Death Registration Information System (BDRIS), and the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system. Documents how three parallel, duplicated databases create service delivery failures, identity fraud vectors, and social protection exclusion for millions of citizens, and proposes a federated interoperability architecture.

NIDBDRISCRVSData SilosInteroperabilityBangladesh

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). Bangladesh's Tripartite Data Silo Crisis: NID, BDRIS, and CRVS. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

13Technical ReportMay 2026

Misinformation · Bangladesh Elections · AI Media

The 2026 Electoral Information Crisis: A Quantitative Analysis of AI-Generated Misinformation and Media Impersonation in Bangladesh

Quantitative assessment of the misinformation landscape during Bangladesh's 13th National Parliamentary Election cycle (Jan–Apr 2026). Documents a sophisticated shift from traditional rumour-spreading to AI-generated synthetic media and coordinated media impersonation. Sources primary data from Rumor Scanner, Dismislab, and Fact-Watch. Uses a mixed-methods approach combining content classification, network diffusion analysis, and temporal spread modelling to reveal how synthetic media altered the information ecosystem.

Synthetic MediaDeepfakesBangladesh ElectionsMisinformation13th Parliament

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). The 2026 Electoral Information Crisis: AI-Generated Misinformation in Bangladesh. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

14Technical ReportApr 2026

Public Safety · Bangladesh · Civic Data

National Mortality & Public Safety Report (Jan–Apr 2026): Insights Bangladesh Data Brief

Data-driven analysis of national mortality trends and public safety dynamics in Bangladesh from January to April 2026. Integrates findings from civic-tech platforms — Nagorik BD, FactCheck BD, and Talk Bangladesh — with official mortality registry data. Provides actionable insights for policymakers and researchers on accidental death patterns, road safety, and public health vulnerabilities. Published in both English and Bangla (জাতীয় মৃত্যু ও জননিরাপত্তা প্রতিবেদন ২০২৬).

Mortality DataPublic SafetyNagorik BDBangladesh 2026Civic Data

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). National Mortality & Public Safety Report (Jan–Apr 2026): Insights Bangladesh Data Brief. ResearchGate.

Full-Text Available · বাংলা সংস্করণ উপলব্ধRead on ResearchGate →

15PreprintApr 2026

Institutional Reform · AI Oversight · Bangladesh

Decentralizing Digital Governance: A Framework for an Independent Data and AI Authority (IDAA) Under the Judiciary in Emerging Economies

Proposes a novel institutional reform for Bangladesh and comparable emerging economies: the establishment of an Independent Data and AI Authority (IDAA) under judicial oversight rather than executive or administrative control. Addresses the concentration of citizen data and AI oversight within law enforcement frameworks. Includes a five-phase implementation roadmap, legislative gap analysis, and international comparisons of enforcement mechanisms.

IDAAJudicial AI OversightData SovereigntyInstitutional ReformBangladesh

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). Decentralizing Digital Governance: A Framework for an Independent Data and AI Authority (IDAA). ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

16PreprintMar 2026

Deepfake Detection · Content Authenticity · Digital News

A Multi-Layered Forensic Framework for Synthetic Media Detection and Content Authenticity in Digital News Ecosystems

Establishes a standardised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for identifying and mitigating AI-generated synthetic media risks in digital news environments. As deepfake technology becomes increasingly accessible, traditional single-layer detection methods prove insufficient. Proposes a multi-layered forensic approach combining pixel-level artifact detection, metadata integrity verification, source provenance tracing, and behavioural pattern analysis — built for integration into newsroom fact-checking workflows.

Deepfake DetectionSynthetic MediaForensic SOPContent AuthenticityDigital Journalism

Cite this work — Atlas AI Institute. (2026). A Multi-Layered Forensic Framework for Synthetic Media Detection and Content Authenticity in Digital News Ecosystems. ResearchGate.

Full-Text AvailableRead on ResearchGate →

06 · Research by Region

A Global South Research Perspective

Bangladesh

AI policy
Digital infrastructure
Civic data
Misinformation
AI enforcement
Institutional reform

South Asia

AI governance
Development
Digital sovereignty
Policy capacity

Africa

AI governance
Digital sovereignty
Localized innovation
Development governance

MENA

National AI policy
Technological sovereignty
Economic transformation

Comparative Global South Intelligence

07 · From Research to Policy

From Evidence to Actionable Governance

01 — Observe

Identify Challenges

Identify emerging technology, governance, and institutional challenges.

02 — Analyze

Ground the Evidence

Use comparative, technical, policy, and field-based research.

03 — Frame

Build Architecture

Translate findings into governance frameworks and institutional models.

04 — Inform

Support Decisions

Support policymakers, regulators, researchers, and institutions with actionable evidence.

08 · Research → Governance

Research Becomes Governance Architecture

Research is only the beginning. Atlas AI Institute translates evidence and comparative analysis into practical governance frameworks designed for Bangladesh and the wider Global South.

Explore the Atlas Frameworks → Atlas AI Policy Frameworks →

09 · Atlas Ecosystem

Beyond Research

Atlas AI Institute connects research with policy frameworks, observatories, education, and public-interest technology.

Research

Independent evidence and policy intelligence.

View Research →

Frameworks

Practical governance architectures and policy models.

View Frameworks →
Atlas AI Policy Frameworks →

Observatory

AI governance monitoring and intelligence.

Visit Observatory →

Civic Technology

NagorikBD · FactCheckBD

Civic infrastructure and fact-verification platforms for Bangladesh.

NagorikBD →
FactCheckBD →

ATLAS
AI
INSTITUTE

10 · Institute

Independent Research. Global South Perspective.

Atlas AI Institute is an independent AI policy and governance research institute advancing responsible AI, digital governance, public-interest technology, and Global South innovation through research, policy frameworks, observatories, education, and civic technology.

Nafiul Ahmad RafiAtlas AI Institute

About Atlas AI Institute →

11 · Collaborate

Research Is Stronger When It Travels

Atlas AI Institute welcomes collaboration with researchers, universities, policymakers, regulators, civil society organizations, technology institutions, and development partners working on responsible AI and inclusive digital governance.

Partner With Us → Contact the Institute →