UN Chief Appoints 39-Member Panel to Advise on International Governance of Artificial Intelligence

UN Chief Appoints 39-Member Panel to Advise on International Governance of Artificial Intelligence

October 27, 2023 at 07:50AM

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has formed a global advisory panel consisting of 39 members to study and report on the international governance of artificial intelligence (AI). The group, which is diverse and gender-balanced, will issue preliminary recommendations by the end of this year and final recommendations by the summer of 2024. The recommendations will be presented at the U.N. Summit of the Future in September 2024. Guterres highlighted the potential benefits of AI for humanity but also expressed concerns about its potential harms, including misinformation, bias, and violations of human rights. He emphasized the need for coordinated global action to address these issues and bridge existing initiatives.

The U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres, has announced the formation of a global advisory panel consisting of 39 members. The panel’s purpose is to report on the international governance of artificial intelligence (AI), including its risks, challenges, and opportunities. The group, which is geographically diverse and gender-balanced, will release preliminary recommendations by the end of this year and final recommendations by the summer of 2024. These recommendations will contribute to the U.N. Summit of the Future, scheduled for September 2024, where world leaders will be in attendance.

Guterres emphasized the potential positive impact of AI on humanity but also highlighted the potential harms associated with AI, such as misinformation, bias and discrimination, invasive surveillance, privacy violations, fraud, and human rights violations. He noted the risk of the malicious use of AI undermining trust in institutions, weakening social cohesion, and threatening democracy.

According to Guterres, expertise in AI is currently concentrated in a small number of companies and countries, leading to global inequalities and digital divides. He stressed the need for coordinated global action.

The U.N. views the formation of this advisory panel as a significant step in its efforts to address AI international governance issues and hopes it will help bridge existing and emerging initiatives.

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