By Dr. Gyan Pathak
The recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have reached a critical juncture, prompting United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to issue stark warnings about the potential dangers facing humanity. He emphasized that failure to establish international regulations could escalate threats to global peace and security. During his remarks to the Security Council on AI on December 19, Guterres highlighted how swiftly AI is evolving, surpassing our capacity for governance and raising crucial issues around accountability, equality, safety, and human oversight of decision-making.
“The fate of humanity must not be solely entrusted to the ‘black box’ of algorithms,” he asserted, underlining the need for human oversight over decisions involving military force. He expressed particular concern regarding the potential integration of AI with nuclear weapons and the emergence of quantum-AI systems that could threaten global stability.
Guterres stressed, “No nation should design, develop, deploy, or utilize military AI applications in armed conflict that contravene international humanitarian and human rights laws,” including the autonomous selection or engagement of targets. He warned that integrating AI into military systems and its misuse for digital security could have severe implications.
He also cited the use of AI in autonomous surveillance and predictive policing as alarming examples of its role in contemporary conflicts, which he described as testing grounds for military AI applications.
Additionally, he raised concerns about deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation, warning of their potential to manipulate public sentiment, trigger crises, and undermine trust within societies.
Guterres also highlighted the environmental repercussions of AI, pointing out the resource-demanding nature of data centers and the geopolitical competition for essential minerals required for AI technologies, which could exacerbate global inequalities without international collaboration to ensure equitable benefits.
He referenced steps taken towards establishing global governance for AI, including the UN Global Digital Compact adopted at the Summit of the Future and two significant resolutions from the General Assembly aimed at fostering global cooperation and capacity-building. However, a third resolution focused on AI in military contexts remains pending in the Assembly.
It’s noteworthy that in March 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution promoting “safe, secure and trustworthy” AI systems. This resolution reaffirmed that AI should be developed and utilized with regard to humanity’s dignity, safety, security, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. The second resolution committed to bridging the digital divide both within and between nations, using technology to further sustainable development goals.
However, despite these initiatives, AI development continues largely unchecked, and many commitments remain unfulfilled. Guterres’ remark about AI surpassing our ability to govern it is thus a serious concern.
In a previous briefing in July 2023, the UN Chief highlighted the rapid pace of AI advancements. With unprecedented investment, today’s AI models are not only becoming more powerful and versatile but are also increasingly accessible, merging capabilities across language, image, sound, and video while automating decisions.
“Artificial Intelligence is not merely reshaping our world – it is revolutionizing it. Yet, the accompanying risks are substantial,” cautioned Guterres. “AI has also found its way onto the battlefield in alarming forms. The ‘AI arms race’ fosters conditions ripe for misunderstanding, miscalculations, and errors. AI-enabled cyberattacks could incapacitate critical infrastructure and disrupt essential services.”
In October 2024, the UN Security Council addressed the complex nature of rapid technological changes, including AI and neurotechnology, acknowledging both groundbreaking innovations and emerging risks to global stability.
Robi Geiss, Director of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), remarked that the converging advancements in various technologies could have extensive and unintended repercussions. He specifically pointed to quantum technology, whose advancements over the next five to ten years could significantly affect global security by making traditional encryption methods obsolete and revolutionizing warfare through enhanced detection capabilities.
Looking to the future, Geiss anticipated major developments in artificial general intelligence (AGI) within the next decade, which would have the capacity to “understand, learn, and apply” knowledge across diverse contexts. “This profound transformation will yield extensive societal implications,” he added, underscoring the urgent need to prepare for the associated threats and opportunities brought about by these emerging technologies. (IPA Service)
