UN chief urges immediate action on global AI governance

"I urge everyone to support the (panel’s) creation without delay,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Guterres said at the 3rd AI Summit in Paris, emphasizing the need for a unified approach to AI regulation.

He described the proposed independent panel as central to shaping AI’s future by "promoting a common understanding of AI, risks, benefits, capabilities and opportunities and helping bridge knowledge gaps."

Guterres highlighted the Global Digital Compact, passed at last September’s Summit of the Future, as "the first universal agreement on the governance of AI."

He said the compact aligns global governance efforts to ensure AI serves humanity rather than the other way around.

He also underscored the importance of inclusivity in AI discussions.

"Member states also agreed to establish a global dialogue on AI governance within the United Nations to ensure that all countries have a voice in shaping the future of AI," he stated.

AI disparities

Warning against growing disparities in AI development, Guterres called for increased investment in AI capacity-building for developing nations.

"We need concerted efforts to build sustainable digital infrastructure at an unprecedented scale, foster talent and train workforces to develop, deploy, and maintain AI systems," he said.

He added that a global AI capacity building network is both "an economic necessity and a moral imperative."

Guterres also addressed AI’s environmental impact, acknowledging its role in climate action but warning of its strain on energy resources.

"AI power-intensive systems are already placing an unsustainable strain on our planet," he cautioned, calling for energy-efficient AI infrastructure.

He concluded his speech by posing questions about AI’s ethical implications: "Who decides what problems AI should or should not resolve? Who benefits most from its deployment? Who bears the cost of its mistakes?"

"AI is not standing still – neither can we. Let us move for an AI that is shaped by all of humanity, for all of humanity,” he said.