The United Nations received a report from a high-ranking U.N. advisory group emphasizing the critical need for global governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and proposed establishing inclusive global institutions to regulate this rapidly expanding technology. According to the 100-page report, AI has the potential to revolutionize various sectors such as science, economic growth, public health, agriculture, and energy optimization. However, without proper regulation, the benefits of AI may only be accessible to a few countries, companies, and individuals, while the development of more advanced systems could disrupt the job market, create autonomous weapons, and pose threats to global peace and security.
The advisory body outlined key principles for the formation of new institutions to govern AI, emphasizing the importance of international law and human rights law. It called for collaboration among governments and stakeholders involved in AI to ensure the protection of human rights. The group’s recommendations included establishing an international scientific panel on AI to assess its capabilities and risks, initiating a global dialogue on AI governance at the U.N. based on human rights principles and international law, creating a global AI fund to bridge the technology gap between wealthy and developing nations, and implementing a “Standards Exchange” to promote technical compatibility.
The report highlighted that out of 193 U.N. member countries, only seven are part of recent prominent AI governance initiatives, with 118 nations, mostly from the global South, not engaging in these discussions. Various initiatives, such as the European Union’s AI regulatory framework, the Group of 20’s guidelines on ethical AI use, and California’s legislation on AI regulation, were mentioned in the report. The advisory board expressed cautious optimism about the future of AI but stressed the necessity of enhanced structures and incentives to manage the technology effectively.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres established the advisory body to address the potential threats of uncontrolled AI development last October. Comprising 39 AI experts from 33 countries, the group was tasked with providing recommendations for an international AI architecture. While Guterres supported the advisory board’s suggestions for improving AI governance, he did not immediately pursue the establishment of a specialized agency for AI regulation. The report was released ahead of the Summit of the Future aimed at addressing global challenges, including the impact of AI, conflicts, climate change, and U.N. reform.
