The United Nations is moving quickly to establish a High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, responding to the urgent need for international AI regulation. The goal is to finalize the board by October, allowing it to compile recommendations by September 2024. While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is being considered as a model for AI governance, some argue that safeguarding a digital and intangible technology like AI requires a different approach. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which focuses on expert advice, has also been suggested as a potential model. Furthermore, some believe that existing bodies could adequately handle AI regulation and question the need for a new agency. The challenge lies in the unpredictability of AI’s impact and the dominance of the private sector, which presents significant governance obstacles.
Political leaders must grapple with the growing influence of tech leaders who have fundamentally different values and wield substantial power. The tensions between these two groups were evident during a recent event hosted by Elon Musk in San Francisco. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concerns about the concentration of wealth and power in a small number of trillion-dollar AI companies. Regulating AI also faces geopolitical divides, as seen in Russia’s resistance to the creation of a UN agency for AI governance. In addition, discussions on AI governance have predominantly been led by Western nations, potentially deepening the divide between wealthy nations and the Global South.
The United Nations faces lessons learned from nuclear governance, which paint a discouraging picture. Divisions among nuclear-armed countries have hampered nuclear disarmament efforts, with the International Atomic Energy Agency caught in the crossfire. Treaties aimed at non-proliferation face significant challenges due to lack of support and divergent views among member states. While AI holds promise for addressing global issues like poverty and hunger, it also has the potential for catastrophic disruption. The United Nations must navigate the interests of self-interested world powers and influential tech industry leaders to effectively govern AI. To lose this battle would have far-reaching consequences.
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