The world’s first protection against AI has been adopted by all 193 UN countries that will ban malicious design and development of the technology – and Russia and China co-sponsored the new resolution

Artificial intelligence has fueled fear and security concerns for years, but a new global resolution to protect the public could provide much-needed reassurance.

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution to protect personal data, monitor AI for potential risks, including scams, and protect human rights.

The resolution – proposed by the US – is non-binding, but was approved by all 193 UN member states and co-sponsored by non-members from 123 countries, including China and Russia.

The resolution comes as leading technology moguls have raised concerns about the reliability of AI, including Geoffrey Hinton – the ‘Godfather of AI’ – who said last year that he regretted creating the technology and worried that machines could do it to take over.

The White House called the resolution a “historic step” and Vice President Kamala Harris said she and President Joe Biden are committed to establishing AI safeguards

The White House praised the resolution, calling it a “historic step” toward “trustworthy” progress in AI.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan wrote in a statement: “The resolution adopted today sets out a comprehensive vision for how countries should respond to the opportunities and challenges of AI.

‘It outlines a path for international cooperation on AI, including to promote fair access, take steps to manage the risks of AI, protect privacy, guard against abuse, and prevent worsened prejudice and discrimination .’

It took three months for the countries to complete negotiations and agree on global privacy policies to ensure that AI technology benefits all countries and is ‘safe, secure and trustworthy’.

The resolution noted that the need for countries to agree on the “design, development, deployment and use of artificial intelligence systems” of AI is accelerating.

“We are navigating choppy waters with rapidly changing technology, which means it is more important than ever to steer in light of our values,” said a senior UN government official, adding that this resolution is the “ first’. one day truly global consensus document on AI.’

This resolution aims to close the gaps in the technology gap between Western countries and poorer third world countries to ensure that their technology is advanced enough to benefit from AI.

“The inappropriate or malicious design, development, deployment and use of artificial intelligence systems… pose risks that… could undermine the protection, promotion and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the resolution said.

Scammers have used AI to steal people’s data and money and have been used to pose as family members on the phone, making their relatives think they were in trouble and needed money immediately before scamming them out of thousands of dollars.

AI has been used to create deepfake videos and photos of people without their knowledge or consent

AI has also been used to create deepfake photos and videos of celebrities and everyday people, and because many of the breaches are done through complex algorithms, it can be difficult to hold actors accountable for any harm caused.

‘Now is the time to not only ensure that AI systems are rights respected by design, but also to ensure that those affected by these technologies are not only meaningfully involved in decision-making about the way AI technology should be regulated, but also that their experiences are continually emerging and at the heart of these discussions,” says Amnesty International reported.

The agreement between all UN members and the support of other countries was an important development.

UN members said there were “a lot of heated discussions.” … But we have been actively engaging with China, Russia, Cuba and other countries that often disagree with us on issues.”

According to the resolution, all participating countries will ensure that it is adopted and developed in a secure manner that prevents the systems from releasing people’s data and ensures that all countries can enjoy the benefits.

Vice President Kamala Harris, America’s AI czar, said in a speech rack that the White House welcomes the adoption of the resolution by the UN.

She continued: “President Biden and I are committed to establishing and strengthening international rules and standards for emerging technology – because global impact technologies like AI require global action, and when it comes to the challenges of the 21st century, we believe we believe that all nations must be guided by a common set of understandings.’

The resolution comes after AI came under scrutiny from top technology executives who painted a “world on fire” scenario, with many warning that AI machines could take over, leading to an “extinction-level” event.

Tech titans wrote a letter in March 2023 urging lawmakers to force companies to pause their AI software developments.

“In recent months, AI labs have been engaged in a frantic race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control,” said the letter which was signed by more than 1,000 technology developers and experts.

Among those who signed the letter were X owner Elon Musk and OpenAI ChatGPT founder Sam Altman.

Hinton also predicted what steps technology could take to spiral out of control and cause human extinction.

‘One of the ways these systems can escape control is by writing their own computer code to adapt themselves. And that’s something we should be very concerned about,” Hinton said CNBC last year.

The AI ​​godfather has even gone so far as to say he regrets building the technology, but told The New York Times: ‘I console myself with the normal excuse: if I hadn’t done it, someone else would have done it.’