UN warns of the possibility of losing control of artificial intelligence

The secretary general of the UN, Antonio Guterreswarned this Thursday that there is a possibility that the development of the artificial intelligence progress in “unforeseen directions” and can be reached “to lose control” of the systems.

“The speed and scope of today’s AI technology is unprecedented. The paradox is that, in the future, it will never again move as slowly as it does now,” Guterres said in a speech at the AI ​​Safety Summit in the United Kingdom.

To address its risks, it is necessary “new solutions”but not “new principles”stressed the Secretary General, who defended basing AI governance standards on the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Over the past year, we have seen the launch of powerful AI models with little consideration for security and safeguards for users,” said the UN Secretary General.

“Every time that happens, it increases the risk of that technology being used maliciously by criminals, or even terrorists, that it undermines the security or integrity of information, that people lose control, and that can develop in unforeseen directions. he added.

He also highlighted the possibility of “long-term negative consequences”, as interferences with labor markets and global economies, as well as a “loss of cultural diversity” which can arise from biases and stereotypes built into algorithms.

In the shorter term, Guterres called “immediate actions” to prevent the emergence of artificial intelligence from exacerbating the “enormous inequalities that already plague our world.”

“That is not a risk, it is a reality,” he stated. A recent report determined that there is no African country in the ‘top 50’ in terms of preparedness for the AI”, and 21 of the 25 lowest-scoring countries are in Africa, the UN chief said.

At the same time, he highlighted the “enormous potential” of new technologies to contribute to developing the economies that ““They are still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and are struggling with a mountain of debt.”

Intelligence can “help governments budget, help businesses grow, and help climate scientists predict droughts and storms”as well as “helping ordinary people access healthcare and education”he declared.

On the closing day of the summit being held in Bletchley Park (central England), Guterres called for a response “united, sustained and global”based on multilateralism.

For the secretary general, the meeting in the United Kingdom, which will host Korea again in six months, virtually, and France next year, has been “an important step on the path towards consensus.”