New York: Europe and the Arabs

The newly formed International Independent Scientific Group on Artificial Intelligence (IISI) held its first meeting since the UN General Assembly adopted the list of experts proposed by the Secretary-General to form the group.

At the opening of the virtual meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the members of the IISI represent “something the world has never seen before: a unique, first-of-its-kind, independent global scientific group dedicated to helping shape the course of AI for the benefit of humanity, while there is still time.”

He stressed that the world urgently needs a shared global understanding of AI, “based not on ideology, but on science; not on fake news, but on knowledge.”

He said the IISI’s role is to enrich the global dialogue with independent and credible science at a time when geopolitical tensions are rising, conflicts are escalating, and the importance of safe and responsible AI is growing.

He noted that the IISI’s work will help decision-makers move from conflicting claims to shared facts, and from shared facts to practical solutions, by building effective controls, unleashing innovation for the common good, and strengthening international cooperation. Global Dialogue

The UN Secretary-General said that within a few months, the team will lay the groundwork for its work, set priorities, form specialized working groups, and deliver a substantive, evidence-based assessment.

He added that this work will contribute to the "first annual global dialogue on AI governance."

"Your first report will be a key reference for this dialogue and will set a benchmark for what comes next," Guterres said.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that during a meeting , the committee selected its first two co-chairs: Maria Ressa of the Philippines, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and renowned journalist, and Yoshua Bengio of Canada, a professor at the University of Montreal, co-chair of the organization "Le Zero," and founder of the Mila Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Quebec.

A few days earlier, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed the need for rules governing artificial intelligence to prevent an increase in inequality and bias. He warned that unchecked artificial intelligence could become a “Frankenstein’s monster” if its developers lack a deep understanding of basic ethical and social principles, according to a UN daily news bulletin we received.

In an interview with UN News during the AI ​​Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said: “When developers have a very superficial understanding of basic principles, it reminds me a bit of Frankenstein’s monster: they develop something they can’t control afterward. If they are not aware of the risks, they could create chaos.”

Türk urged governments and companies to put in place urgent safeguards to prevent this technology from exacerbating inequalities and biases and causing real harm.

He said: “If data is collected from only one region of the world, and if AI development is limited to men, unconscious biases will permeate it. It is essential to pay attention to marginalized groups and minorities because they are often excluded from AI development.” The High Commissioner also likened the unchecked advance of artificial intelligence to "releasing a genie from a bottle."

He warned of the impact of misinformation on the social fabric, saying, "It creates divided societies, where everyone lives in isolation from one another." He also noted the alarming rise in misogyny: "Many women tell me they are considering leaving politics because of what they experience on social media."

Turk compared the need to regulate AI to that of the pharmaceutical industry, stating, "We must require companies to conduct human rights impact assessments when they design, launch, and market their products."

He pointed out that some technology companies have budgets exceeding those of small countries, giving them global influence. "This influence can be used for good—health, education, and sustainable development—but also for evil: lethal autonomous weapons, disinformation, hate, and violent misogyny." A Vision for the Future
When UN News asked Turk what responsible artificial intelligence might look like in five years, he envisioned a scenario of “inclusive development, where power is not concentrated in the hands of a handful of North American companies, and where AI is built on the richness and diversity of all societies.”

He concluded, “If we don’t offer a vision for a better world, we could end up with more polarization and wars beyond human control. That is extremely dangerous.”