UN advisory body makes seven recommendations for AI governance Reuters

By Supantha Mukherjee

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – A United Nations artificial intelligence advisory body released its final report on Thursday proposing seven recommendations to address artificial intelligence risks and gaps in governance.

The UN last year created a 39-member advisory body to address issues related to the international governance of AI. The recommendations will be discussed at a UN summit in September.

The advisory body called for the establishment of a panel to provide unbiased and reliable scientific knowledge about AI and to address information asymmetries between AI labs and the rest of the world.

Since the launch of Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, the use of AI has spread rapidly, raising concerns about fueling disinformation, fake news and copyright infringement.

Only a few countries have created laws to govern the spread of AI tools. The European Union was ahead of others in passing a comprehensive AI Act, compared to the United States’ approach of voluntary compliance, while China aimed to maintain social stability and state control.

The United States was among about 60 countries that approved an “action plan” to govern the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the military on September 10, while China did not support the non-legally binding document.

With the development of artificial intelligence in the hands of a few multinational companies, there is a danger that the technology will be forced on people without them having a say in how it is used, the UN said in a statement.

It also recommended a new policy dialogue on AI governance, creating an AI standards exchange and a global AI capacity development network to boost governance capabilities.

Among other proposals, the UN wants a global artificial intelligence fund to be established to address gaps in capacity and collaboration. It also advocates for the formation of a global AI data framework to ensure transparency and accountability.

Finally, the UN report proposed the establishment of a small artificial intelligence office to support and coordinate the implementation of these proposals.