The United Nations Security Council(UNSC) held its first meeting on Tuesday on the threats artificial intelligence poses to international peace and stability, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for the creation of a new international body to help govern the use of AI.
Guterres said technology is increasingly revealing its potential risks and benefits, and the UN has an opportunity to set globally agreed road rules for monitoring and regulation.
Guterres went on to say that the United Nations must come up with a legally binding agreement banning the use of artificial intelligence in automatic weapons of war by 2026.
Gutteres said in a tweet “Today I urged the Security Council to approach AI with a sense of urgency, a global lens and a student’s mindset. We must work together on common measures for transparency, accountability and oversight of AI systems”.
Russia, which deviated from the Council’s majority view, expressed skepticism that enough is known about the risks of artificial intelligence to label it a source of threats to global instability, the New York Times reported. The Chinese government has argued that UN rules should reflect the views of developing countries as they seek to prevent the technology from becoming a “runaway wild horse”.
An official representing the United States at the meeting did not directly address the Chinese government’s accusations, but added that “no member state should use AI to censor, limit, suppress or disempower people” possibly a veiled reference to China’s use of the technology to track ethnic groups Minorities.
The meeting was chaired by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who called for international AI governance to be tied to principles promoting freedom and democracy; respect for human rights and the rule of law; security, including physical security, as well as protection of property rights and privacy; and credibility.
“We’re here today because AI will affect the work of this council,” Chytra said.
“It could enhance or undermine global strategic stability. It challenges our basic assumptions about defense and deterrence. It raises moral questions about responsibility for lethal decisions on the battlefield… AI could aid the state’s ruthless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and other countries.” state actors alike. But it could also help us stop proliferation,” CNN Cleverly quoted him as saying.
The UN secretary-general also urged the need for a UN watchdog to act as a governing body to regulate, monitor and enforce regulations on artificial intelligence in the same way that other agencies oversee aviation, climate and nuclear power.
The proposed agency would consist of experts in the field who would share their expertise with governments and administrative agencies that may lack the technical know-how to deal with AI threats. Prospect of a legally binding resolution on its management remains remote. Although most diplomats supported the idea of a global governance mechanism and a set of international rules.
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