Who should set the rules for AI? The UN is pushing for a safer digital future

The United Nations is responding to rapid AI advancements and global risks by establishing two new mechanisms to coordinate governance. The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI will assess known and unknown aspects of the technology, while the Global Dialogue on AI Governance will bring governments and stakeholders together to discuss international cooperation. These institutions aim to complement each other, with the Scientific Panel providing evidence and the Global Dialogue guiding policy responses. The UN’s work is rooted in the 2024 Global Digital Compact, which called for international cooperation on AI and proposed these mechanisms.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need for global coordination, stating that national action alone is insufficient to address AI’s cross-border risks. He highlighted the importance of shared principles and commitments on AI governance, including safety, human rights, and equitable access. Guterres also stressed that voluntary efforts to slow AI development must be verifiable and universally applied to be effective. The UN’s role is to facilitate dialogue and provide a scientific basis for discussions among governments.

The UN’s efforts follow a preliminary report from the Scientific Panel, released on 1 July, which found that AI capabilities are advancing rapidly in areas such as reasoning, coding, and science. The report also identified risks including misinformation, discrimination, privacy violations, cyberattacks, and potential uncontrollable ‘superintelligence.’ Guterres called for shared understanding to ensure safe, secure, and responsible AI development, with stronger safeguards for increasingly powerful systems.

Guterres proposed an AI Child Safety Pledge and a Global Fund for AI to support developing countries in building AI infrastructure and capacity. He underscored the need for guardrails that prioritize safety, transparency, accountability, and human dignity. While national and regional governments retain regulatory authority, the UN’s role is to convene discussions, provide scientific assessments, and identify areas for international cooperation. AI is expected to be a major topic in Guterres’s discussions with world leaders during the upcoming UN General Assembly.