AI - Guterres Says UN Has Unique Role to Play / Warns of Malicious Uses / Calls for Ban on Autonomous Weapons : CNN

The United Nations has an opportunity to set globally agreed-upon rules for monitoring and regulating artificial intelligence (AI).

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said this at a first-ever meeting of the UN Security Council devoted to AI governance. He argued that the UN has a unique role to play in coordinating the international response to AI, just as it has done with nuclear energy, aviation safety, and climate change.

Guterres warned that the malicious use of AI systems for terrorist, criminal, or state purposes could cause horrific levels of deaths and destruction, widespread trauma, and deep psychological damage. He also noted that UN peacekeeping and humanitarian operations are already being targeted by hostile actors using AI for malicious purposes.

Guterres called for the UN to develop a legally binding agreement banning the use of AI in completely automated weapons of war by 2026. He also pledged to bring together an advisory council that will develop proposals for regulating AI more broadly by the end of the year.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who led Tuesday's meeting, called for international governance of AI to be tied to principles upholding freedom and democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, security, trustworthiness, and the protection of property rights and privacy.

"We are here today because AI will affect the work of this council," Cleverly said. "It could enhance or disrupt global strategic stability. It challenges our fundamental assumptions about defense and deterrence. It poses moral questions about accountability for lethal decisions on the battlefield."

Cleverly also noted that AI could aid the reckless quest for weapons of mass destruction by state and non-state actors alike, but it could also help us stop proliferation.

The meeting of the UN Security Council on AI governance was a significant step forward in the international effort to address the potential risks and benefits of this powerful technology. The UN has a unique opportunity to set globally agreed-upon rules for monitoring and regulating AI, and it is clear that the international community is taking this opportunity seriously.