UN forms global AI advisory panel
The United Nations has convened an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence to assess the technology's societal impact. The panel, comprising dozens of global experts, will analyze risks and advise policymakers on regulation and oversight. Observers have compared the group's formation to the UN’s climate change panel, underscoring the urgency of establishing global AI governance.
The panel consists of 40 experts from diverse backgrounds, including academia, the private sector, civil society, and government. Nominees were selected from a pool of over 2,600 applicants and represent all five of the UN's regions, with a commitment to gender balance. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stated the panel will "help the world separate fact from fakes, and science from slop." The goal is to provide a reliable, evidence-based understanding of AI at a time when regulatory approaches are fragmented. The advisory body is designed to function as an "IPCC for AI," providing the scientific foundation for global governance and policy-making, much like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change does for environmental policy. This model emphasizes a science-led approach to managing the technology's development and impact. This initiative is part of a broader push for a globally inclusive approach to AI governance, aiming to ensure that advancements benefit all of humanity and align with human rights and Sustainable Development Goals. The panel's work will inform a proposed Global Digital Compact, which is intended to outline shared principles for an open, free, and secure digital future. The expert group includes prominent figures such as Microsoft's Chief Responsible AI Officer Natasha Crampton, OpenAI's CTO Mira Murati, and Google-Alphabet's Senior Vice President James Manyika. The members will serve in their personal capacities for a three-year term. The panel's creation follows the work of a High-level Advisory Body on AI, which conducted extensive global consultations with over 2,000 participants and published a final report, "Governing AI for Humanity," in September 2024. The new scientific panel will build on these foundational recommendations.
