United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has tasked a newly formed independent group of 40 global experts with shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence for humanity's benefit. Convening at the inaugural meeting of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, Guterres highlighted the panel's crucial role in closing the AI knowledge gap and assessing the technology's societal and economic impacts.
He emphasized that AI's rapid advancement requires a shared, global understanding grounded in science, not ideology. The stakes are exceptionally high, as AI will profoundly influence peace, security, human rights, and sustainable development for decades. Guterres warned against the dangers of fear and division that arise from missing or distorted facts surrounding AI. He stressed that the panel is in a "race against time" to ensure safe and responsible AI development, noting that "never in the future will we move as slow as we are moving now."
Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa is among the 40 experts on the panel.