A United Nations report released today proposes that an international body oversee the first truly global effort to monitor and manage artificial intelligence.
The report, prepared by the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group on AI, recommends the creation of a body similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to collect the latest information on AI and its risks.
The report calls for a new policy dialogue on AI so the 193 UN member states can discuss risks and agree on action. It also recommends that the United Nations take steps to empower poor countries, especially those in the Global South, to benefit from AI and contribute to their governance. These should include creating an AI fund to support projects in these countries, establishing AI standards and data sharing systems, and creating training and other resources to support national AI governance. Some of the report’s recommendations could be facilitated by the Global Digital Compact, an existing plan to address the digital and data divide between countries. Finally, it proposes the creation of a dedicated AI office within the United Nations that would coordinate existing efforts within the organization to achieve the report’s goals.
“There is an international community that agrees that there are both harms and risks, as well as opportunities presented by AI,” said Alondra Nelson of the Institute for Advanced Study, who served on the U.N. advisory board on the recommendation of White. says the professor. House of Representatives and Department of State.
The amazing capabilities demonstrated by large-scale language models and chatbots in recent years have raised hopes for a revolution in economic productivity, but some experts believe that AI is developing too quickly and It warns that it can quickly become difficult to control. Shortly after ChatGPT was introduced, a number of scientists and entrepreneurs signed a letter calling for a six-month pause in technology development so the risks could be assessed.
More pressing concerns include the potential for AI to automate disinformation, generate deepfake videos and audio, mass replace workers, and exacerbate social algorithmic bias on an industrial scale. “There’s a sense of urgency and people feel like we need to work together,” Nelson said.
The UN proposal reflects the strong interest of policymakers around the world in regulating AI to reduce these risks. But it also means that the great powers, particularly the United States and China, are competing to lead the way in technology that promises enormous economic, scientific, and military benefits, and that these countries have no control over how and whether they should exploit it. This is happening even as the company is solidifying its own vision of how it should be used. controlled.
In March, the United States submitted a resolution to the United Nations calling on member states to embrace the development of “safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.” In July, China introduced its own resolution emphasizing cooperation in developing AI and disseminating the technology. All UN member states have signed both agreements.
“AI is part of the U.S.-China competition, so there are limits to what the two countries can agree on,” said Joshua Meltzer, an expert at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, D.C. Key differences include the norms and values that should be embodied by AI, as well as the protection of privacy and personal data, he says.
