Knowledge Networks launches inaugural AI Policy 100 ranking

Knowledge Networks and RegulatingAI have unveiled The AI Policy 100 (2026), a first-of-its-kind annual ranking of 100 people shaping global AI governance. The list highlights the regulators, lawmakers, officials, researchers and advocates most likely to influence how artificial intelligence is written into law, enforced and debated.

Why it matters: - The ranking aims to identify the small group of people shaping AI rules that can affect disclosure, testing, deployment and enforcement for years. - Knowledge Networks says the list is meant to make visible a field that often operates through agency rulemaking, committee drafting, standards work and technical annexes. - The full list, individual reasoning and methodology are public at the AI Policy 100 page.

What happened: - Knowledge Networks published The AI Policy 100 (2026), its inaugural annual ranking of the 100 most influential individuals in AI governance. - The list was announced Aug. 5, 2026 at The AI Policy Summit at Ai4 Las Vegas. - The honorees include people from national governments, regulators, the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, the European Parliament, the European Commission, competition and data protection authorities, multilateral bodies, standards groups, universities, civil society and tech companies.

The details: - The ranking uses five fixed criteria: Rule-Making Influence, Scope of Impact, Current Activity, Cross-Jurisdiction Reach and Public Engagement. - Rule-Making Influence carries the most weight at 30%. - Scope of Impact counts for 25%. - Current Activity counts for 20%. - Cross-Jurisdiction Reach counts for 15%. - Public Engagement counts for 10%. - The editorial team scores candidates on a 100-point system, using one-to-five ratings across the five criteria. - Knowledge Networks says the weights do not change between editions, so movement in the ranking should reflect changes in influence rather than changes in methodology. - The team verifies every name, title and claim against primary sources before publication. - There is no application, self-nomination or nomination process. - Knowledge Networks says no placement is for sale and no sponsored slot exists. - Honorees receive an individually numbered certificate, a profile on the published list, a badge and suggested wording if they choose to share the recognition, plus an invitation to the honoree network. - Honorees who find an error can submit supporting evidence to editorial@knowledgenetworks.com. - Journalists can request the ranked list, breakdowns by jurisdiction, institution type and discipline, interviews with the editorial lead and honoree assets.

Between the lines: - The ranking gives a public map of where AI policy power sits across governments, companies and research institutions. - The fixed methodology appears designed to blunt criticism that such lists are subjective or easily gamed. - The list also signals that AI governance is now a cross-border policy domain, not just a domestic regulatory issue. - Sanjay K. Puri, founder and president of RegulatingAI, said the rules governing AI for a generation are being written now and that the project checks every claim against a primary source.

What's next: - Knowledge Networks says the ranking will be published annually. - Future editions will use the same method, allowing readers to compare year-to-year shifts in influence. - The organization says updates and corrections will be handled publicly after publication.

The bottom line: - The AI Policy 100 is both a ranking and a transparency play: a public attempt to identify who actually shapes AI rules before those rules harden into law and practice.