“AI is moving at the speed of light,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, underscoring the urgency of regulating this innovative technology. “We need shared understandings to build effective barriersunlock innovation for the common good and foster cooperation. The Panel will help the world separate facts from fakes and science from garbage..”
The origins of the Panel date back to 2023, following the launch of ChatGPT in the United States and other pioneering technologies, heralding a new era in the field of artificial intelligence.
Guterres convened a group of leading technologists and academics and tasked them with promoting recommendations for secure governance.
After a series of in-depth discussions, the experts returned with a vision for an approach to AI governance that could benefit humanity. Among the ideas was the creation of the International Scientific Panel, independent but supported by the UN.
The Panel, Guterres says, will be the “first fully independent, global scientific body dedicated to helping close the knowledge gap on AI and evaluate the real impacts of AI in all economies and societies.
Panelists will exchange ideas, conduct “deep dives” into priority areas such as health, energy and education, and share the latest cutting-edge research.
Diverse candidates
On Wednesday, Guterres and Amandeep Gill, his special envoy for technology, told reporters that the names of 40 potential members would be submitted to the General Assembly, which will have the final say on the panel’s membership.
Gill said the experts on the list were chosen for their globally recognized expertise in AI. Geographic representation and gender balance also came into play.
Among the nominees – 19 women and 21 men – are Sonia Livingstone (United Kingdom), professor at the London School of Economics and advisor on media literacy and rights in the digital environment; Balaraman Ravindran (India), head of the Department of Data Science and AI at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras; and Maria Ressa (Philippines), renowned journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Find consensus
With a large and diverse membership, divergent attitudes toward regulation, and rising geopolitical tensions, the ability to forge consensus could prove challenging.
But Gill noted that even during the Cold War, scientists around the world were able to work together on issues of international importance. “One of the added values of the United Nations is to provide those mechanisms through which scientific understanding and common understanding can be advanced.“, said.
The General Assembly is expected to make a final decision on membership on February 12, and the Panel’s first report is due in July.