APCO

I joined CGTN to discuss why many multinational companies remain optimistic about opportunities in China, the importance of stability in U.S.-China relations, and how global businesses are adapting to a more "multi-local" world.

One of my favorite things to do as an AI governance person in healthcare is read the Federal Register every day. Not ashamed. The Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce is holding an Emerging Technology Technical Advisory Committee meeting on June 2. Most of it will be closed. The public part focuses on identifying technologies that may need tighter oversight. Technology and its impact on national security gets discussed long before it is released. AI healthcare teams should pay attention. Export controls are not just a trade conversation. They affect patient data, model reliability, and how you show up for FDA review. Making governance work means knowing how agencies are classifying high-risk tools before the rules are final. Most AI healthcare teams find out about these decisions after they matter. Watching ETTAC is how you find out before. For more information, please view the Federal Register notice here: https://lnkd.in/eUSKpzFv

The world lost a true pioneer today. Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in NBA history, passed away after a courageous battle with brain cancer. He was 47. I had the honor of being at his first game as an openly gay player at the Barclays Center as a guest of the National Basketball Association (NBA) . I was there as a founding board member of Athlete Ally , an organization dedicated to ending homophobia and transphobia in sports. I remember the electricity in the arena, the sense that we were witnessing something that mattered far beyond basketball. Jason didn’t just break a barrier. He held the door open for every athlete who came after him. He showed the sports world — and the world at large — that authenticity and courage belong on the court. He faced his cancer diagnosis with the same grace and openness that defined his public life, going on record to say: “Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self.” He lived that, every single day. My heart goes out to Jason’s husband Brunson, his entire family and the NBA family. Jason, you changed the game in every sense of the words.

The Global Bureaucracy Perception Index (GBPI) captures how people actually experience government services across 13 countries and 11 servicesand Saudi Arabia stands out for speed and accessibility. Developed by APCO and Horizon Group, GBPI 2026 is the world’s first global benchmark of its kind. KSA highlights: • Business Time: 84.0 — among the highest globally • Business Accessibility: 82.8 — broad reach across channels and geographies • Citizen Time: 80.3 — fast end-to-end execution in high-frequency services For businesses entering or scaling in the Kingdom, this translates into fewer delays, more accessible entry points, and an operating environment built for scale. To learn more: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/daTrtNQA #GBPI2026 #SaudiArabia #FDI #Vision2030

A simple way to understand risk in AI systems in healthcare starts with one question: What happens to the patient when the human does not participate enough? I keep returning to Surviving Congress. Each reading sharpens the same observation: governance moves slower than technology, and patients absorb the gap first. Clinton v. City of New York is a useful reminder: Congress cannot hand the President power to rewrite legislation after it passes. Courts enforced that boundary in 1998. Courts will shape AI governance the same way. Most people think AI regulation is one agency's job. It isn't. Congress writes the laws. The executive branch implements and enforces them through HHS and its agencies/sub-agencies, including FDA and CMS. Courts interpret what those agencies can and cannot do. All three shape what AI systems are allowed to do in clinical settings, and how fast rules can change. When those branches move at different speeds, or in different directions, the gaps show up at the point of care. Clinicians work inside those gaps every day. Human participation is not a nice-to-have. It is a risk control. When clinicians are rushed, distracted, or working around tools they do not trust, patients are exposed. Markets eventually price that in. Patients feel it before markets do. AI risk becomes visible when human attention fades and patient needs fall out of view.

KSA is setting a new global standard for government service delivery. The Global Bureaucracy Perception Index (GBPI) 2026 — the world's first cross-country benchmark of how citizens and businesses actually experience government services developed by APCO and Horizon Group — places KSA among the global leaders on two of the most critical dimensions for investors and businesses: 📊 Business Time Score: 84.0 (vs. global average of 77.0) 📊 Business Accessibility Score: 82.8 (vs. global average of 76.0) These aren't aspirational targets. They reflect the lived experience of 1,135 businesses surveyed across 13 countries from October–December 2025. When a business asks: "How fast can I get a licence?" or "How easy is it to access the services I need?" — KSA answers with among the strongest scores in the world. This is what digital transformation looks like when it moves at speed and at scale. National platforms delivering high-volume processing across tax, employment, ID, and operational licensing — consistently and efficiently. For investors and corporates evaluating where to grow next, these scores matter. They signal a government that doesn't just promise reform — it executes. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dqwRBytU Explore the GBPI 2026 findings to benchmark your market. #GBPI2026 #SaudiArabia #InvestInSaudi #Vision2030

People can get into poverty just to be healthy? Back then, when I was still a child in my hometown in Ambon, whenever I or my relatives got sick, our grandmothers will say "pastiu" (re: fed up) whenever our families want to take us to doctors. I never understand why. Isn't it a good thing to take your children to see a doctor everytime they're sick? I mean, it's their job, right? Now I understand why. People can fall into poverty just to see a doctor. In The PRAKARSA research about Universal Health Coverage, led by Mas Bintang Aulia Lutfi , me and team, we found that 12.85 millions Indonesians suffer from catastrophic poverty from what we know as Out of Pocket (OOP) health spending. Basically, the amount of money that we pay from our pocket, wallet, and bank account without chances of getting reimbursed by insurance. The project, which was presented to and discussed with Pak Ghufron, Head of BPJS - Kes (at the time), Dr. Gamal Albinsaid, DPR RI member, Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, and Prof. Hasbullah, expert in Public Health and the architect of Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN), delves into UHC progress in national and in all 38 provinces. Even though BPJS Kesehatan almost reach full coverage (98%), it still has a lot of homework to do. Because JKN is not UHC, and UHC requires JKN to also make sure people get the right treatment, and people don't have to get worried of falling into poverty whenever they wanted to be healthy. For all Ambon grandmamas out there, I understand you. Link to publication: https://lnkd.in/gHGrg6hj #UniversalHealthCoverage #UHC #Health #FinancialProtection #Outofpocket #HealthSpending

What does it mean for a campus to be truly "future-ready"? Yesterday, I explored this question alongside Amanda Ellis , Rupa Saran , and Dr. Anthony J. Davis during the session "Future-Ready Campuses: Navigating the Next Decade of Higher Education" at Ellucian Live 2026. Higher education is facing unprecedented shifts — from demographic changes and evolving learner expectations to AI-driven transformation and funding pressures. Yesterday's session was an opportunity to unpack what it means to innovate and lead in this rapidly changing environment. Our session addressed many of the critical issues that are top-of-mind for administrators, but also for trustees -- as Chair of the North Carolina Central University Board of Trustees, I know all too well how regularly these issues are discussed. One of the key insights we uncovered: Higher education isn’t just adapting to change — it’s being reshaped by it, requiring bold leadership, thoughtful tech adoption, and strategic collaboration. A huge thank you to Ellucian for creating space for this critical conversation, and my fellow panelists for sharing their insights and expertise. APCO #HigherEducation #FutureReady #Leadership #EllucianLive2026 #Innovation #StudentSuccess #APCO

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