Artificial intelligence is reshaping the ways knowledge is created, published, preserved, and accessed. IRCAI, the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence, operating under the auspices of UNESCO, is organising AI GYM 2026, a three-day programme at the Frankfurt Book Fair (7–9 October 2026), preceded by an online pre-event at the Frankfurter Hof on 17 September 2026. The initiative brings together publishers, authors, educators, researchers, technology developers, international organisations and policy-makers to examine how AI is reshaping the knowledge ecosystem and to advance UNESCO's vision of human-centred, ethical and inclusive Artificial Intelligence.

The programme combines expert panels, practical knowledge exchange, international networking and policy dialogue across eight thematic tracks, from AI in education to scientific publishing to AI regulation and a collaborative "AI Manifesto" session. Its flagship public event, AI in Culture: Truth or Fake?, convenes a uniquely diverse, cross-sector panel to examine how reading, education and open knowledge can equip societies to resist AI-driven misinformation.

This concept paper consolidates the full programme, its rationale, expected participants and outcomes, and, as requested for this circulation, a dedicated chapter setting out UNESCO normative instruments the programme is designed to advance: the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021), the Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (2019), and UNESCO's Guidance for Generative AI in Education and Research (2023).