What the U.N.'s AI Advisory Group Will Do

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres unveiled Thursday a new advisory body dedicated to developing consensus around the risks posed by artificial intelligence and how international cooperation can help meet those challenges. While the body will have little power itself, its recommendations could decide the form and function of a U.N. agency for the governance of AI, an organization that many believe will be required as the world confronts the complex set of issues the technology will pose. "Without entering into a host of doomsday scenarios, it is already clear that the malicious use of AI could undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cohesion, and threaten democracy itself," said Guterres, speaking at the announcement press conference. "For all these reasons, I have called for a global multidisciplinary, multistakeholder conversation on the governance of AI, so that its benefits for all of humanity are maximized, and the risks contained are diminished." The new group is one of several international AI initiatives already underway, including the upcoming U.K. AI Safety Summit and G7 AI code of conduct.