Welcome remarks | 31 May

Mayor Alfonso Gomes Advocates for Ethical AI to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals at Geneva Summit

During the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Mayor Alfonso Gomes provided a compelling and comprehensive speech that emphasised the significant role artificial intelligence (AI) could play in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues. The Mayor’s address was particularly focused on the potential of AI to contribute positively to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mayor Gomes opened his speech by reflecting on the public’s diverse reactions to AI since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. He observed that opinions ranged from extreme fears to great optimism, but he advocated for a balanced consensus that acknowledges the positive outcomes of AI when it is employed ethically, responsibly, and within a regulated framework. Gomes highlighted the transformative potential of AI in sectors such as healthcare, education, and disaster relief, aligning with the SDGs’ objectives.

The Mayor then addressed the stark reality of the SDGs’ progress, noting that, nearly a decade after the 2030 agenda was set, only half of the goals are on track, with many others regressing. He pointed out the exacerbation of poverty, hunger, inequality, and discrimination due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he underscored the environmental crisis, including climate change and biodiversity loss, as an existential threat to humanity.

Mayor Gomes underscored the pivotal role that Geneva and Switzerland play in the global AI discourse. He noted Geneva’s adherence to responsible and inclusive digital technology practices, in line with the Swiss Confederation’s AI guidelines, which advocate for prioritising human-centred approaches, fostering conditions for AI development and use, and ensuring security. He also highlighted Geneva’s significant contribution to discussions on data governance and AI, supported by its extensive network of stakeholders and cross-disciplinary expertise.

In his conclusion, Mayor Gomes issued a powerful call to action for collective efforts to tackle the immense global challenges. He expressed optimism that the AI for Good Global Summit would make a substantial contribution to these collective efforts. Emphasising the importance of multilateralism and dialogue, Gomes asserted that by working together, the international community can achieve more significant progress.

In summary, Mayor Alfonso Gomes’s address at the AI for Good Global Summit was a resounding call for the ethical and responsible use of AI to tackle global challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. He highlighted the urgency of collective action and international cooperation and positioned the summit as a vital platform for ensuring that AI serves the greater good of humanity. His speech underscored Geneva’s leadership and commitment to shaping the global conversation on AI and its applications for social good, reinforcing the city’s role as a hub for AI governance and innovation.

Introduction:
to come up on stage so that you two can say hello. It feels like the right thing to do, doesn’t it? So, let’s do it. Ladies and gentlemen and everybody, distinguished guests, please join me in inviting the Mayor of Geneva, Alphonso Gomes. There we go.

Seizo Onoe:
Yeah, just like that. Thank you, thank you.

Introduction:
Thank you very much.

Alfonso Gomez:
Ladies and gentlemen, as a Mayor of Geneva, I have the great pleasure to welcome you most warmly to our city on the second day of the AI, I pronounce one in English, for Good Global Summit. It’s a really great honor for the municipal authorities to host such an important event, bringing together some of the world’s leading AI specialists. We are fully aware of the scope, the work being carried out here, and of course we hope that it will be fruitful. Since the public launch of the chat GPT in November 2022, generative artificial intelligence lies at the heart of every debate. And from that moment on, all kinds of scenarios concerning the impact of AI on our lives were circulating, ranging from the most irrational fears to the wildest hopes. However, a general consensus seems to be emerging. If we use ethically, responsibly, and in a regulated way, if it’s put at the service of social good and humanity, AI can have extremely positive repercussions in many areas. This applies, for example, in the case of health, education, and disaster response, but also more generally in relation to the United Nations’ 70 Sustainable Development Goals. As you well know, almost 10 years after the international community adopted the 2030 agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals are unfortunately far from being achieved. Only 50% of them are on track, while many others are slipping backwards. Poverty, hunger, inequality, and discriminations are increasing at an alarming rate in many parts of the world, and particularly in connection to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, we are facing a global crisis in terms of climate change and the decline of biodiversity, which is gradually bringing humanity to the brink of collapse. We have little time, little time left to change our paradigm, and in order to offer future generations acceptable living conditions in our common earth. While the challenges are immense, how can we ensure that the use of AI benefits humanity? It’s this essential question that is at the heart of the All for Good Global Summit, which brings us together today in Geneva, and which throughout the year will constitute the largest multilateral platform in the United Nations system for AI. The city of Geneva is followed with the discussion taking place within this framework with the utmost attention, strongly committed to the use of a responsible, inclusive, and innovative digital technology that serves all populations. It has adopted the excellent guidelines laid down by the Swiss Confederation for the use of AI, and in particular with a view to placing people at the center, ensuring conditions conducive to the development and use of this technology, and ensuring security. More generally, international Geneva is heavily involved in discussions around the use of data and the governance of AI, thanks to its rich network of stakeholders in the field of new technologies, and I believe nowhere else in the world is there such a concentration of cross-disciplinary expertise. I hope that this environment will be beneficial to our work. Ladies and gentlemen, today, in view of the immense challenges we face, the world needs collective actions. It’s not too late. We can still succeed if we act now by combining our efforts at all levels. And I have no doubt that this summit will make a valuable contribution to this collective edifice. This is the strength of the multilateralism of the dialogue. Together, that for sure, together, we can go further.

Introduction:
Thank you very much for your attention. Thank you very much. That was absolutely excellent. Please continue that way.