United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that artificial intelligence technology can only be managed safely with common rules and called on governments "not to wait for necessary measures on this matter." Guterres, speaking at a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, evaluated the first preliminary report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, established in February.
Stating that the panel's aim is to help the world distinguish truth from deception and science from nonsense, Guterres said, "At a time when a reliable and impartial understanding of AI has never been so critical, we expect them to provide an authoritative reference point."
Guterres stated that artificial intelligence has extraordinary potential, saying, "When used well, artificial intelligence can be the most powerful development engine accelerating the world's progress in areas from health to learning and climate." However, he warned that without common rules, as AI advances, governments and people will have less say over the outcomes.
Three main findings: Speed not slowing, power concentrating, control not guaranteed
Maria Ressa, co-chair of the panel, joined the meeting by video conference and reported that three main themes stand out in the report: the speed of AI technology is not slowing, power is concentrating in certain points, and control in this area is not guaranteed. Ressa said, "A handful of companies and a handful of countries are making the most important decisions about humanity's future. The United States alone accounts for 75% of the computing power in the world's largest AI clusters, and control is not guaranteed."
Ressa drew attention to the fact that when a society's information sources are poisoned and lies are repeated millions of times, they become accepted as truth. "Now add generative AI to that; the same scenario is being applied faster, cheaper, and in a more personalized way to each of us. Without facts, there is no truth; without truth, there is no trust," she said.
Co-chair Yoshua Bengio stated that the panel provides an independent assessment of the current state of AI science. Bengio said, "The aim is not to give advice, but to ensure that policy decisions are informed by the highest scientific integrity standards, independent of external pressures and preferences."
Report to be discussed in Geneva
The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, established under the UN in February and comprising scientists from 40 different countries, aims to assess the real impacts of AI on economies and societies and to serve all of humanity. The findings of the first preliminary report will be presented to governments and discussed at the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 6-7.
