[Secretary-General António Guterres (at podium) briefs reporters on the launch of his High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence (AI). (Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)]
United Nations: The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres Thursday October 26, 2023 announced the formation of an Advisory Body that will work to contain and minimise the riss Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses to the humanity at the same time maximising its benefits.
The UN AI Advisory body will be headed by Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence of Spain and James Manyika, Senior Vice President of Google-Alphabet, President for Research, Technology and Society.
Besides two co-chairs, the advisory body will have 37 members from different fields including experts from government, the private sector, the research community, civil society, and academia.
“Without entering into a host of doomsday scenarios, it is already clear that the malicious use of AI could undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cohesion and threaten democracy itself. For all these reasons, I have called for a global, multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder conversation on the governance of AI so that its benefits to humanity -- all of humanity -- are maximized, and the risks contained are diminished”, António Guterres said while launching the AI Advisory Body.
The UN AI Advisory body will work independently.
“This Advisory Body is the starting point. This group will work independently, guided by some basic principles. The Advisory Body’s efforts will be inclusive and based on the universal values enshrined in the United Nations Charter. It will consider how we can link various AI governance initiatives that are already under way”, the UN Chief said.
The UN Secretary General further said that the advisory body will submit its preliminary recommendations by the end of the current year i.e. in the next two months.
“The advisory body will work fast because we are against the clock. It will make preliminary recommendations in three areas by the end of this year -- the international governance of artificial intelligence; a shared understanding of risks and challenges; and key opportunities and enablers -- to leverage AI to accelerate the delivery of the SDGs”, the UN Chief said.
The UN Chief said AI Advisory Body’s recommendations will be used for the Summit of the Future and the proposed Global Digital Compact.
“The Advisory Body’s recommendations will feed into preparations for the Summit of the Future next September, and specifically into negotiations around the proposed Global Digital Compact”, António Guterres said. “The Body will consult with my Scientific Advisory Board, particularly on how we can harness the benefits of AI to accelerate advances for the good of all”, he added.
“The Advisory Body’s recommendations will feed into preparations for the Summit of the Future next September, and specifically into negotiations around the proposed Global Digital Compact”, António Guterres said.
“The Body will consult with my Scientific Advisory Board, particularly on how we can harness the benefits of AI to accelerate advances for the good of all”, he added.
The UN AI Advisory Panel comprises individuals such as technology company leaders, government representatives from nations ranging from Spain to Saudi Arabia, and academics hailing from countries including the United States, Russia, and Japan.
Prominent tech figures such as Sony’s Chief Technology Officer, Hiroaki Kitano, OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, and Microsoft’s Chief Responsible AI Officer, Natasha Crampton, are among the executive representatives from technology firms on this panel.
The advisory board boasts a global representation, spanning six continents, and features diverse backgrounds that range from the likes of AI expert Vilas Dhar in the United States to Professor Yi Zeng in China and Egyptian legal expert Mohamed Farahat.
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