NEW YORK – RenAIssance Foundation scientific director Prof. Paolo Benanti – among the main inspirers of the Rome Call for AI Ethics – is one of 38 experts appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a member of a new Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. The goal of this selected group of experts, whose creation was announced on Oct. 26, 2023, is to assess the risks, opportunities and define international governance of artificial intelligence.
“For developing economies, AI offers the possibility of leapfrogging outdated technologies and bringing services directly to people who need them most. The transformative potential of AI for good is difficult even to grasp. And without entering into a host of doomsday scenarios, it is already clear that the malicious use of AI could undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cohesion and threaten democracy itself,” Mr. Guterres said. For all these reasons, I have called for a global, multidisciplinary, multistakeholder conversation on the governance of AI so that its benefits to humanity – all of humanity – are maximized, and the risks contained and diminished.”
The Advisory Body on AI is composed of 38 members and a permanent member of the Secretariat (UN SG’s Envoy on Technology, Amandeep Gill). The Body is made up of respected and independent experts and it is gender-balanced, geographically diverse, and representatives of all age groups. Its members, 20 women and 19 men, have deep experience across government, business, the technology community, civil society, and academia.
It is a timely initiative by the UN Secretary-General both because of the historical moment, which sees an acceleration in the development of AI technologies, and ahead of the Summit of the Future next year when a Global Digital Compact is to be adopted.
The Final Report of the AI Advisory Body will be released in the Summer of 2024, ahead of the Summit of the Future.
The Advisory Body’s immediate tasks include building a global scientific consensus on current risks and challenges, how to harness AI for the Sustainable Development Goals, and how to strengthen international cooperation on AI governance. Its recommendations will help governments and businesses respond better to fast-paced developments.
The AI Advisory Body’s interim recommendations, to be presented by the end of the year, will address three main areas:
1. The international governance of artificial intelligence
2. Shared understanding of risks and challenges
3. Key opportunities and enablers for leveraging AI to accelerate the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Throughout the process, the AI Advisory Body will engage with relevant stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society. Consultations with specific groups (youth, faith-based organizations, investors etc.) are planned.
A key task for the Advisory Body will be to consider how to link different initiatives on AI governance so that AI works for all humanity.
See more about the AI Advisory Body here
