27 Sep 2023

AI at UNGA78: The topic on everyone’s lips

Leaders discussed the transformative potential of AI and the urgent need for global cooperation in navigating its challenges, including lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS).

The once-fledgling concept of AI, scarcely uttered by leaders only a few years ago, has now become a topic of awe and fear, leaving us at a critical juncture in history. With the world teetering on the precipice of a digital revolution, leaders from diverse nations converged to discuss the perils, promises, and pressing need for international cooperation in navigating the uncharted terrain of AI’s ascent.

This summary is based on the following statements….

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Joe Biden, President of the United States
Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
Stevo Pendarovski, President of North Macedonian
Alberto Fernández, President of Argentina
Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy
Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Oliver Dowden, Deputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom
Robert Rea, Head of the Delegation of Canada
Hamza Abdi Barre, Prime Minister of Somalia
Tobias Billström, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Lejeune Mbella Mbella, Minister for External Affairs of Cameroon
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of India
Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
Samuel Matekane, Prime Ministe of Lesotho
Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Slovenia
Charles Michel, President of the Council of the European Union
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister of Nepal
Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore
Gaston Alphonso Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of Relations with States of the Holy See
Xavier Espot Zamora, Head of government of Andorra
Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia
Denis Ronaldo Moncada Colindres, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua
Robert Abela, Prime Minister of Malta
Alexander Schallenberg, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Prime Minister of Spain
Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria
Gabriel Boric Font, President of Chile
Yoon Suk Yeol, President of South Korea
Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland
Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Foreign Affairs of New Zealand
Enrique Austria Manalo, Secretary for Foreign affairs of the Philippines
Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan
Yvan Gil Pinto, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela
Arnoldo Ricardo André Tinoco, Minister for foreign of Costa Rica
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany

The UN Secretary-General’s opening speech at the UN GA 78 set the stage for discussion on AI:

Generative AI holds much promise – but it may also lead us across a Rubicon and into more danger than we can control. When I mentioned Artificial Intelligence in my General Assembly speech in 2017, only two other leaders even uttered the term. Now AI is on everyone’s lips – a subject of both awe, and fear. Even some of those who developed generative AI are calling for greater regulation.

Highlights on AI from UNGA 78

Relevance and potentials of AI

AI often takes a backseat in global discourse, overshadowed the other pressing issues such as climate change (Barbados)
Responsible use of AI to ensure they benefit humanity (Ethiopia)
Ensuring that AI, particularly generative AI, is harnessed for positive purposes (Barbados)
AI’s potentials to bring more freedom, prevent wars and enhance people’s lives (Israel)
Equitable distribution of benefits in the AI era (Singapore)
AI can help us improve our living conditions (Andorra)
AI can accelerate our efforts on the SDGs (Sweden)
AI is critical for development of knowledge-based economy (Serbia)
Need to combine forces of human and machine intelligence (Israel)
Robotisation and AI force us to rethink education, processes of production, and the preservation of work (Argentina)

AI risks

The risk level associated with human-induced disasters, including climate change and AI (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI (UK)
AI, which surpasses human understanding and presents unique risks of misuse, misadventure, or misalignment with human objectives (UK)
Deep concerns about new technologies like AI (Somalia)
The challenges AI presents for international security and human rights (Sweeden)
AI technologies need to be safe before they’re released to the public (USA)
Dual nature of AI demands informed discussions on its potential misuse (Nepal)
Entrusting decisions about an individual’s life and future to algorithms is unacceptable (Holy See)

People, Person, Concert, Crowd, Cinema, Electronics, Screen, Computer Hardware, Hardware, Monitor, Face, Head, Audience

AI and international security

AI, particularly in military context, has evolved into a focal point for global geopolitical rivalry (EU)
AI is set to profoundly change traditional military doctrines and strategic deterrence (Singapore)
Major concerns related to autonomous weapons (India)
Organised criminal groups might illicitly use autonomous weapons (Antigua and Barbuda)
Support for the UN SG to establish a binding legal framework to prohibit the use of lethal autonomous weapons systems by 2026 (Antigua and Barbuda)
Moratorium on LAWS must be established until international legal framework is developed (Holy See)
Use of lethal autonomous weapons in armed conflicts must align with international humanitarian law (Holy See)
Need of international rules and limits on LAWS (New Zealand, Philippines)
Submitting joint resolution on autonomous weapons systems (Austria, Costa Rica, and Mexico)

International initiatives, and positioning in ‘AI governance race’

Countries and international bodies must cooperate to harness power of AI for good (USA)
New Delhi G20 outcomes prioritise issues related to the responsible harnessing of AI (India)
Hiroshima AI process for Trustworthy AI (Japan)
Support for establishment of an International Organisation for Artificial Intelligence for the exchange of scientific and technological information for peaceful purposes, promoting the common good and integral human development (Holy See)
Need for establishing foundations global ethical framework for regulating AI (Spain, Monaco, Chile); Anchoring AI governance in principles of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law (Bulgaria); Call for ‘algorethics’ – ethical boundaries for development of algorithms (Italy)
AI requires new forms of multilateralism and global cooperation (UK, Nepal, North Macedonia, Malta, Iceland)
Plans to organise ‘Global AI Forum’ (Republic of Korea)
Plan to put ‘algorethics’ on the G7 agenda in 2024 (Italy)
UK is determined to be in the vanguard of AI governance (UK)
Spain expressed willingness to host the headquarters of a potential international AI agency (Spain)

UN and AI governance

Support for the UN SG on establishing AI regulatory framework (Barbados)
Anchoring AI governance in the UN Charter (Sweden)
Regulation of AI should become strategic priority of the UN (Venezuela)
AI revolution is test for the UN to collaborate effectively on an issue that will profoundly impact humanity and the planet’s future (UK)
Call for UN partnership that guarantee that AI won’t be weaponised or misused in any way to subvert democracy and freedom (The Philippines)
Support for the UN SG High-Level Advisory Body on AI which will provide recommendations by the end of the year (Singapore, Korea, Monaco, Slovenia, Spain)
Inspiration for AI governance to be drawn from existing international organisations like the IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency and IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN Secretary General)
Fostering exchanges on the Global Digital Compact to ensure that access to AI does not cause a deeper digital divides by being limited only to richer countries (Germany)

Imagine the blessings of finally cracking the genetic code, extending human life by decades, and dramatically reducing the ravages of old age. Imagine healthcare tailored to each individual’s genetic composition and predictive medicine that prevents diseases long before they occur. Imagine robots helping to care for the elderly. Imagine the end of traffic jams with self-driving vehicles on the ground, below the ground, and in the air. Imagine personalized education that cultivates each person’s full potential throughout their lifetime. Imagine a world with boundless clean energy and natural resources for all nations.

Imagine precision agriculture and automated factories that yield food and goods in an abundance that ends hunger and want. I know this sounds like a John Lennon song, but it could all happen. Imagine that we could achieve the end of scarcity, something that eluded humanity for all history. It’s all within our reach. And here’s something else within our reach. With AI, we can explore the heavens as never before and extend humanity beyond our blue planet.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel