‘Irrefutable’ need for global regulation of AI: UN experts

By UN News

The imperative for global regulation of the booming artificial intelligence field, or AI, is “irrefutable”, a new report from a UN expert group said on Thursday, adding that development and use of such a technology “cannot be left to the whims of markets alone”. 

“The very nature of the technology itself – transboundary in structure and application – necessitates a global approach,” the final report from the UN Secretary-General appointed panel concludes.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world, from opening new areas of scientific inquiry and optimizing energy grids, to improving public health and agriculture and promoting progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

However, while there is tremendous potential for good, left ungoverned, the benefits of AI could be limited to only a handful of pioneering States, companies and individuals, widening the digital divide and inequality.

In an effort to mitigate these risks, the report proposes several recommendations to establish a framework for AI global governance.

Growing human rights concerns

There is also utmost concern expressed in the report about the ways in which AI may be used to infringe on human rights.

The very raw materials needed for AI technologies – including critical minerals – are globally sourced, leading to a battle for power and wealth over these rare commodities on a global scale.

Further, autonomous weapons systems could make decisions without human intervention, raising ethical and legal questions about accountability and the protection of civilians during conflicts. Increasing potential for an arms race driven by advancements in AI technology could also endanger human security.

AI bias and surveillance is yet another area of concern, with the creation and dissemination of disinformation potentially harming civilians. 

Gaps already appearing

Disparities are already begininning to appear. In terms of representation, whole parts of the world have been left out of international AI governance conversations.

For instance, just seven countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US) are parties to seven prominent non-UN AI initiatives, whereas 118 countries, primarily in the Global South, are parties to none.

“Equity demands that more voices play meaningful roles in decisions about how to govern technology that affects us,” the report states.

“The concentration of decision-making in the AI technology sector cannot be justified; we must also recognize that historically many communities have been entirely excluded from AI governance conversations that impact them,” it added.

Globally inclusive architecture

To address these concerns, the UN expert group is proposing several recommendations for regulating the use of AI.

The recommendations of the report include an independent international scientific panel on AI, a twice-yearly intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on AI governance to share best practices and a global fund for AI to bridge the digital divide.

The group also stressed that any deployment of AI in military settings must comply with international humanitarian law and human rights standards and recommended that states establish robust legal frameworks and oversight mechanisms.

Taken together, these recommendations call on UN Member States to lay the foundations for the first globally inclusive architecture for AI governance based on international cooperation and transparency.