New Year, New Internet: What’s Ahead for CODI in 2026

From launch day to kicking off our first research initiative, 2025 was a busy year for CODI.

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In the year ahead, we will be attending more global events, expanding and engaging with our member community and supporting research initiatives to make the Internet more multilingual.

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Expanding our Focus

We focus on two core areas: building a multilingual Internet and strengthening the last mile of digital access. In the year ahead, we’ll expand this work to also focus on linkification, the process by which plain text (for example, a website address or email) is automatically turned into a clickable link. Linkification makes it easier for people around the world to tap, click and navigate the Internet. CODI will be working to:

• Determine best practices for linkification
• Test and track linkification readiness across the Internet
• Build a case study repository

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Ensuring AI Works for Everyone

As AI continues to dominate headlines, experts within the Working Group on Defining the Minimum Viable Dataset for Cultural and Linguistic Empowerment are working to ensure access to AI and digital tools in every language. Members of the working group have extensive knowledge and expertise in cultural and linguistic representation, AI, digital rights, ethics and more. During their research, they are working to identify what makes a dataset culturally relevant, ethically sourced and reflective of real-world worldviews. Their findings are expected to be released this spring and will be used to pilot the datasets in real models, so stay tuned.

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Advocating for Global Access

We also launched the next step in our efforts to amplify the voices of last-mile and community-based organizations: a brief survey on “The Global Web: Understanding Your Needs.” Open until February 12, 2026, the questionnaire will help us establish a baseline of the current state of global digital access based on the real-world experiences of groups on the ground. We will use the findings to bridge the gap between what is being built globally and what communities need locally. 

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Finally, we’re proud to be hosting a virtual event to celebrate Universal Acceptance Day in May. The discussion will spotlight last-mile organizations working to support communities that have been marginalized or left behind by digital advancements. The event is part of a celebration between March and May, with global organizations participating in different events, both virtual and in-person, to advance Universal Acceptance and its adoption in all languages. 

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We look forward to continuing our work with our members and forging new connections with supporters of our mission to ensure every person can navigate the Internet in their own language. Stay tuned for more, and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates.