International stakeholders emphasized the importance of addressing the emerging reality of artificial intelligence (AI) at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday. Speakers at the groundbreaking event discussed the benefits and drawbacks of integrating AI into daily life.
According to the presenters, AI has the potential to transform approaches to human rights. The UN’s use of technology within the United Nations Support Mission in Libya to monitor citizens’ responses to policies sped up advances in the nation’s 2022 Global Peace Index. Additionally, the UN has utilized AI to track cease-fires, identify trends of violence, and improve peacekeeping operations around the world.
AI, on the other hand, has the potential to be disastrous if it falls into the wrong hands. Several speakers, including the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, cautioned that AI might disrupt global peace and security and call into question many basic presumptions about defence and deterrence. The use of AI to construct fully autonomous weaponry also poses a threat to peacekeeping efforts thus far.
According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
AI-enabled cyberattacks are already targeting critical infrastructure and our own peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, causing great human suffering. The technical and financial barriers to access are low, including for criminals and terrorists. Both military and non-military applications of AI could have very serious consequences for global peace and security.
The UN Secretary-General also addressed the issue of bias and discrimination that AI systems may perpetuate if left uncontrolled. Generative AI might also amplify hate speech and disinformation, posing global security dangers. The proliferation of deep fakes on social media, in particular, has the potential to instigate hatred and violence by disseminating conspiracy theories.
Guterres urged for a global approach to AI legislation and governance, acknowledging that the unique character of AI and AI systems may necessitate universal governance. Other speakers emphasized the importance of government regulation, noting that private firms may not always act in the best interests of citizens.
The UN Secretary-General encouraged member states to push for the establishment of a new UN institution whose mandate will be to assist countries in using AI for good while mitigating potential hazards. The organization will also assist in eliminating the skills divide between authorities and other administrative agencies, as well as support AI research and development for long-term development. He additionally challenged governments to develop national policies on the responsible use of AI.
