UN chief Guterres calls for democratising AI, avoiding geopolitical divide
United Nations, Feb 11 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for democratising Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that the “growing concentration of AI capabilities risks deepening geopolitical divides”.
“While some companies and countries are racing ahead with record investments, most developing nations find themselves left out in the cold,” he said at the AI Action Summit in Paris co-hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The power of AI carries immense responsibilities”, he said. “Today, that power sits in the hands of a few”.
“Let us move for an AI that is shaped by all of humanity, for all of humanity”, he said.
Guterres, who has made AI one of his priorities, called for giving the UN a central role in determining the future of AI, recalling the proposal in the Global Digital Compact adopted by world leaders at last year’s Summit of the Future.
The Compact suggested the creation of an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, and Guterres said it would be essential for ensuring that “technology serves humanity, not the other way around”.
“By pooling global expertise, this Scientific Panel will promote a common understanding of AI risks, benefits and capabilities, and help bridge knowledge gaps”, he said.
“AI must bridge the gap between developed and developing countries – not widen it”, Guterres said.
For this, he said, a “global AI capacity-building network is an economic necessity and a moral imperative”.
That was one of the proposals made by the High-Level Advisory Body on AI.
“In what seems like the blink of an eye, AI has gone from the stuff of science fiction to a powerful force that is transforming our world”, but the world is not ready for it, he said.
While noting its positive breakthroughs in education, health and agriculture, he said it is “also testing our shared values and rights”.
“It is in all our interests for governments and technology leaders to commit to global guardrails, share best practices, and shape fair policy and business models”, he said.
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