United Nations establishes artificial intelligence advisory body

The expert panel will include 39 academics, industry executives and government officials from 33 countries, including the US and China, two countries that have taken different approaches to AI governance.

The new body aims to reach consensus on the risks and challenges of AI, help harness the technology for development, and strengthen international cooperation on AI governance.

At the press conference, Mr. Guterres said the new agency will be in a race against time. He warned of the risks that AI technology could bring if the UN and governments around the world do not act quickly.

The experts will consider different governance models and decide whether an international body similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency is needed for AI. However, the advisory body's recommendations are not binding and it is up to member states to decide whether they want to establish or join such a body.

The US and China – the world’s two AI superpowers – may find it difficult to reach a consensus on how to regulate artificial intelligence as they race to dominate the space. The US has tried to curb China’s AI development by imposing various export controls on the technology.

Meanwhile, China has taken a top-down approach to AI governance, introducing one of the world’s first regulations on generative AI this year. In the US, by contrast, Big Tech is dominating how AI policy is shaped.

The U.S. members of the UN advisory body include executives from Google, Microsoft and OpenAI, while two professors from China are on the council. Other members from Asia include Sony Corporation Chief Technology Officer Hiroaki Kitano; Korea Personal Information Protection Commission Chairman Haksoo Ko; and Singapore Government AI Director He Ruimin.

The new body will help connect other existing and emerging initiatives on AI governance, a UN press release said.

Governments around the world are looking to harness this powerful technology. The Biden administration is expected to announce a long-awaited executive order on AI as early as next week. The UK is hosting an AI safety summit next week to discuss the issues.