The UN General Assembly made history by adopting its first-ever global resolution on artificial intelligence (AI). The unanimous decision underscores a collective commitment among the 193 member nations to navigate the growing landscape of AI development while safeguarding fundamental human rights and privacy.
Spearheaded by the US and co-sponsored by China and over 120 other nations, the resolution signals a pivotal turn in international efforts to address the ethical and practical challenges posed by AI.
Safeguarding human rights and personal data
The UN resolution is the latest effort following multiple initiatives by governments around the world to shape the development of AI. Hence, governments are increasingly concerned about AI’s impact on democratic processes, employment rates, and increased fraud.
At the center of the UN resolution is a call to action for countries to prioritize the protection of human rights in the face of advancing AI capabilities. The resolution recognizes the impact of the “improper or malicious design, development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence systems without adequate safeguards”. Therefore, it emphasizes the need to uphold fundamental freedoms in the digital age. Moreover, it underscores the importance of monitoring AI systems to mitigate potential harms and ensure accountability.
Closing the digital divide
The UN General Assembly also recognized the varying levels of development between nations. Moreover, it highlighted that developing nations are facing growing challenges in keeping up with innovation and technological advancement.
Therefore, the UN resolution on AI calls on states and stakeholders to cooperate and support developing countries to bridge the AI and other digital divides. Moreover, it seeks to promote safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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Strengthening privacy policies
In addition to the focus on human rights, the UN resolution advocates stronger privacy policies to safeguard personal data amidst the AI boom. Therefore, it calls on governments to develop, implement and disclose mechanisms of risk monitoring and management and securing data. Moreover, it calls for impact assessments across the life cycle of AI systems.
In November, the United States, Britain, and more than 12 other countries announced the first international agreement on safeguarding AI. This agreement pushes companies to create AI systems that are secure by design.
Europe is ahead of the US, with EU lawmakers adopting the AI Act this month. The US is also pushing for AI regulations to reduce risks to consumers, workers, and minorities, with national security as a top priority.
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