The Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence (AICOE) recently welcomed a high-level delegation from Montenegro as part of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program focused on "Ensuring Artificial Intelligence Innovation for Montenegro."

The visit was organized by World Partnerships, Inc., led by President Gary Springer and Executive Director Mary Ellen Upton, and brought together government leaders responsible for artificial intelligence strategy, cybersecurity, digital transformation and national resilience as Montenegro begins the important work of developing its long-term AI policy framework. The session was hosted at Thrive DTSP, where the delegation was welcomed by Head of Operations Brooke Beeler.

The delegation included Aleksandar Anđić, Head of Montenegro's Directorate for Artificial Intelligence, International Programs Monitoring and Project Planning, whose office is responsible for advancing the country's AI strategy and alignment with international standards. He was joined by Samir Orahovac, Acting Director of Montenegro's Cyber Security Agency; Miloš Vujošević, Head of the Department for Response to Cyber Threats, Incidents and Cyber Crises; Julija Vulikić, Senior Analyst for International Programs and Projects within the Cybersecurity Agency; and Nikola Martinović, Chief of Office for Information and Cyber Security at the Ministry of Defense. Together, the group represents many of the institutions that will help shape Montenegro's future approach to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, governance and digital innovation.

AICOE Founder Joe Hamilton delivered a presentation exploring the emerging field of civic artificial intelligence and the role local institutions can play in helping communities adapt to rapid technological change. The invitation reflects growing international interest in how cities, regions and nations can develop AI capacity while preserving public trust, strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring the benefits of artificial intelligence are broadly shared.

During the session, Hamilton presented AICOE's framework for Civic AI: Building Capacity for Tomorrow's Governance, outlining a vision for how communities can build local capacity for artificial intelligence while strengthening civic institutions and civic participation.

Central to the discussion was the Civic Stack, a model that views communities as interconnected systems spanning government, civic infrastructure, business and economics, communications, quality of life, creativity and civic intelligence. The framework explores how AI can support decision-making, improve public services, strengthen civic organizations and help communities respond more effectively to emerging challenges.

The presentation also introduced AICOE's Civic Language Model concept, which argues that every community possesses unique civic knowledge, cultural context, institutional history and patterns of behavior that are largely absent from today's globally trained AI systems. Rather than relying exclusively on models trained on generalized internet data, the framework explores how communities can develop AI systems grounded in their own local realities.

Using Cityverse as an example of a civic data environment, Hamilton discussed how verified civic participation, local content creation and community engagement can create a foundation for AI systems that better understand and serve the places in which they operate. The conversation explored what becomes possible when AI systems are trained not only on global information but also on the lived experience, institutions and civic patterns of a specific community.

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The presentation concluded with three principles emerging from AICOE's work. First, communities should prioritize the collection and organization of civic data before AI applications are deployed. Second, successful adoption depends as much on trust and human behavior as it does on technology. Third, centers of excellence can play an important role in coordinating education, experimentation, governance and implementation as AI capabilities continue to evolve.

The visit highlighted the growing international interest in practical approaches to civic artificial intelligence and provided an opportunity for leaders from two countries to exchange ideas on governance, innovation, cybersecurity and public trust.

For AICOE, the opportunity to engage directly with officials helping shape Montenegro's AI future reflects the increasing relevance of civic AI as a field of study and practice. It also demonstrates the important role organizations such as World Partnerships, Inc. play in fostering international dialogue and knowledge exchange.

As communities around the world begin defining their AI strategies, AICOE's work in civic intelligence, local data ecosystems and AI capacity building is contributing to a broader global conversation about how societies can harness artificial intelligence in service of their citizens.

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