UN warns against AI, reveals dangers of autonomous weapons and lifelike deepfakes

If left unchecked, artificial intelligence could pose a serious threat to democracy and peace, the United Nations warns.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the comments after a panel of experts warned of the dangers of increasingly realistic deepfakes and the evolving use of autonomous weapons and AI by criminal and terrorist groups.

The group called for greater global cooperation on the technology and said its development should not be left to the market.

The panel of about 40 experts in technology, law and data protection was established by Guterres in October.

Their report raised alarm bells about the lack of global governance of AI and the de facto exclusion of developing countries from debates about the future of the technology.

Of the 193 members of the UN, only seven are part of the seven major initiatives related to AI, while 118 countries are not there at all. These are mainly countries in the Global South.

“There is currently a global governance deficit when it comes to AI,” the experts warn in their report. AI is by definition transnational.

“AI must serve humanity in a fair and safe manner,” Guterres said this week.

‘If we do not get the dangers of artificial intelligence under control, they could have serious consequences for democracy, peace and stability.’

Against the backdrop of his clear appeal, the experts called on UN members to establish mechanisms to ensure smooth global cooperation in this area and to prevent unintended spread.

“The development, deployment and use of such technology cannot be left solely to the whims of the market,” the report said.

First, it called for the creation of a group of scientific experts on AI, along the lines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) expert forum, whose reports have the final say on the issue of climate change.

The panel informs the international community about emerging risks, identifies research needs and discusses how research can be used to reduce hunger, poverty and gender inequality, among other things.

The report sounded the alarm about the lack of global governance of AI and the effective exclusion of developing countries from debates about the future of the technology (stock photo)

That proposal is included in the draft Global Digital Compact, which is still under discussion and will be adopted on Sunday at the ‘Summit of the Future’.

The report calls for the establishment of a lightweight ‘coordination’ structure within the UN Secretariat.

But it remains a fully-fledged international governing body – as Guterres is aiming for – based on the model of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.

“As AI risks become more severe and concentrated, member states may need to establish a more robust international institution with oversight, reporting, verification and enforcement powers,” the report said.

The authors acknowledge that, given the rapid pace of change in AI, it is futile to attempt to compile a comprehensive list of the dangers posed by the ever-evolving technology.

However, they pointed in particular to the dangers of disinformation for democracy, the increasingly realistic deepfakes (particularly pornographic ones) and the evolution of autonomous weapons and the use of AI by criminal and terrorist groups.

“However, given the speed, autonomy and opacity of AI systems, it may be too late to respond when a threat emerges,” the report said.

‘Ongoing scientific assessments and policy dialogues would ensure that the world is not caught unawares.’