UN chief warns geopolitical divide could create serious risks in AI

UN Chief Antonio Guterres, in a veiled reference to the US and China, warned that the geopolitical divide could spark a dangerous race in AI development. He urged countries with advanced AI to establish dialogue and common guardrails to avoid risks.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a veiled reference to China and the United States, has warned that the geopolitical divide could create serious risks in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), calling for greater dialogue, information exchange and common guardrails among countries with advanced AI capabilities.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the UN General Assembly, Guterres said the geopolitical divide could create conditions in which "each of the superpowers might think that let's do as much as possible and as quickly as possible to make sure that we are ahead of the other one."

"And obviously this can create serious risks," he said. Drawing a parallel with the Cold War, Guterres recalled that despite the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, there had been contacts over nuclear risks, including agreements to reduce nuclear arsenals and measures to establish dialogue and exchange information.

Call for Dialogue and Common Guardrails

"In my opinion, it is essential that the countries that have capacity and I'm not referring only to the two biggest ones, the countries that have the highest capacity in the frontiers of AI, I think they should establish mechanisms of contact, of exchange of information and some common guardrails in order to avoid this race to the bottom that could lead one day to a gigantic disaster at the global level," he said.

“International cooperation is more necessary than ever,” he said.

AI's Potential vs. Global Risks

According to UN News, while he recognised AI’s “enormous potential” on issues surrounding health, education and climate, but added that the world “cannot afford to ignore concerns” that AI development is progressing faster than human understanding of its risks.

UN News reported that as fears mount of an AI arms race between the US and China, the Secretary-General acknowledged “geopolitical divides” and said voluntary pauses on AI development will not work if they are isolated – limited to only a few countries.

“The world cannot afford a race to the bottom on AI safety,” he said.

UN Initiatives and Institutional Reform

He referred to the UN-founded Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which he said will inform global discussions by providing the best available evidence on AI’s opportunities and risks.

Also in his wide-ranging remarks, the UN Chief acknowledged the need to reform global institutions, including the UN itself, and stressed that the UN’s promises to maintain peace and protect human rights remain the same.

“Updating our structures can never mean abandoning our principles – it must mean applying those principles with even greater determination,” he said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)