MANILA, Philippines – The United Nations’ Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence released the first-of-its-kind preliminary report assessing the most pressing opportunities, risks, and impacts of AI.
The Panel, made up of 40 members and co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio from Canada and Maria Ressa from the Philippines, seeks to “present a balanced analysis” of AI’s risks and opportunities, and aims to provide policymakers with a shared base of knowledge and evidence needed to respond effectively and in a timely manner.
“The technology is transformative, but if the world keeps moving along this trajectory, humanity will fail to realize the gains it promises. The risks — to societies, to security, and to our species — are too high, and the forces driving AI forward are not the forces that will deliver its benefits,” said Ressa.
“AI capabilities are outpacing both scientific understanding and governments’ ability to adapt. With growing evidence of deceptive AI behavior, science currently cannot guarantee that as capabilities continue to increase, AI will not cause catastrophic harm, either on its own or due to malicious users. To act effectively, global policymakers must understand these systems. This Panel provides exactly that: a rigorous, shared scientific foundation to guide our collective way forward, ” added Bengio.
