UN Security Council Holds Historic Meeting On Artificial Intelligence
The United Nations Security Council convened its inaugural meeting on artificial intelligence (AI) on Tuesday, where global leaders voiced their opinions on the transformative technology.
As AI continues to rapidly advance, various nations expressed their hopes and fears regarding its potential impact on humanity. China's representative cautioned against allowing AI to become a "runaway horse," highlighting the need for responsible regulation and utilisation of the technology. On the other hand, the United States issued a warning against employing AI as a tool for censorship and oppression, emphasising the importance of safeguarding human rights.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who chaired the meeting during Britain's presidency of the council, acknowledged the far-reaching implications of AI on human life. He emphasised the urgency of establishing global governance for transformative technologies, underscoring that AI transcends national borders and can contribute positively to addressing climate change and economic growth. However, Cleverly also acknowledged AI's potential to fuel disinformation and its possible misuse for military purposes by both state and non-state actors.
The council received briefings from esteemed experts, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jack Clark from Anthropic (a high-profile AI startup), and Professor Zeng Yi from the China-UK Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance. Guterres stressed the criticality of addressing both military and non-military applications of AI to maintain global peace and security.
Guterres lent his support to the idea of establishing a new UN body akin to existing organisations like the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to govern AI collectively. China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun described AI as a "double-edged sword" and supported the central coordinating role of the UN in establishing guiding principles for AI. Zhang underscored the significance of balancing scientific development with security measures to ensure AI's responsible deployment.
Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Deputy US Ambassador to the UN, echoed the importance of international cooperation on AI and other emerging technologies to mitigate human rights risks that could potentially undermine global peace and security. He emphasized that no member states should misuse AI to suppress people's freedom or rights.
However, Russia expressed skepticism about discussing AI within the Security Council's purview. Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy argued in favor of conducting a more specialised, scientific, and expertise-based discussion that might require several years.
(Inputs from Reuters)
