UN calls for a global approach to artificial intelligence

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called on Thursday for the adoption of a "unified, sustainable, and global" strategy to address the risks posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence during a meeting of world leaders in the United Kingdom on this subject.

Guterres urged the creation of "innovative solutions" to bridge the gap between artificial intelligence and its governance, suggesting that these solutions should be based on the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Joining Guterres were other political leaders, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US Vice President Kamala Harris, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, at the two-day conference in Bletchley Park.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations called on legislators and organizers to "anticipate the emerging wave" of artificial intelligence technology rather than trailing behind. 

He stated that failing to do so "increases the risk of technology being used harmfully by criminals or even terrorists."

He added that this could undermine security or information integrity and pose the risk of humans losing control over these algorithms, leading to "unintended directions."

In a statement, he said, "We urgently need frameworks to address these risks, so that both developers and the public can feel safe and trust artificial intelligence."

Additionally, Guterres called for a "systematic effort" to distribute technology worldwide to avoid exacerbating the "vast inequalities afflicting our world today."

"We need a unified and sustainable global strategy built on diversity and the participation of all stakeholders... and the United Nations is ready to play its part," he added.