Advertisement

UN chief appoints advisory panel on international governance of AI

Click to play video: 'Champagne announces Voluntary AI Code of Conduct in Canada'
Champagne announces Voluntary AI Code of Conduct in Canada
WATCH: Champagne announces Voluntary AI Code of Conduct in Canada – Sep 27, 2023

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday announced the appointment of a 39-member global advisory panel to report on international governance of artificial intelligence and its risks, challenges and key opportunities.

The U.N. chief told a news conference the gender-balanced, geographically diverse group which spans generations will issue preliminary recommendations by the end of the year and final recommendations by the summer of 2024. The recommendations will feed into the U.N. Summit of the Future, which world leaders will attend in September 2024.

“In our challenging times, AI could power extraordinary progress for humanity,” Guterres said, adding that its transformative potential for good “is difficult even to grasp.”

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

But he said: “The potential harms of AI extend to serious concerns over misinformation and disinformation; the entrenching of bias and discrimination; surveillance and invasion of privacy; fraud, and other violations of human rights.”

Story continues below advertisement
Click to play video: 'Alberta farmers can use AI to detect lameness in dairy cows'
Alberta farmers can use AI to detect lameness in dairy cows

It is already clear, Guterres said, that malicious use of AI “could undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cohesion, and threaten democracy itself.”

Guterres said right now AI expertise is concentrated “in a handful of companies and countries” which could lead to deeper global inequalities “and turn digital divides into chasms.” What’s needed, he said, is coordinated global action.

The U.N. said the formation of the body, with experts from government, the private sector, the research community, civil society and academia marks a significant step in its efforts to address issues of AI international governance and will help bridge existing and emerging initiatives.

Sponsored content

AdChoices