United Nations Convene Amid AI Concerns #shorts #ai #artificialintelligence

The UN made some waves this week by holding its first ever meeting devoted entirely to artificial intelligence. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the creation of a new international agency, like those that exist for nuclear power and civil aviation, to help govern the responsible development of AI globally.

Guterres warned that AI poses huge risks if used irresponsibly by governments or tech companies. He called out social media specifically, saying the platforms that were supposed to bring people together are now spreading conspiracy theories and enabling new forms of information warfare. No bueno.

The UN itself has been testing out AI in its peacekeeping and humanitarian work, using it to monitor conflicts and identify patterns of violence. But Guterres said AI is also being used against the UN by hostile groups aiming to disrupt their efforts and cause harm. He wants to get out ahead of this by bringing countries together to ban fully automated AI-powered weapons by 2026.

China's ambassador pushed back on Guterres' proposal for a new regulatory body, saying countries should have the freedom to develop their own AI policies. He accused Western nations of trying to dominate the tech instead of supporting developing countries. But the US ambassador clapped back, saying no government should use AI to repress people. Ooh, shots fired!

The US and China are racing for AI dominance, so the tension wasn't exactly surprising. But it highlights the challenges of developing global standards when different superpowers have conflicting agendas. The UN has its work cut out to get everyone on the same page.

The founder of AI startup Anthropic also spoke up, arguing that AI should be developed cooperatively rather than being left to big tech giants competing for profits. He makes a good point - the stakes are too high to let Facebook and Google steer this ship alone. We need broader societal involvement.

The jury is still out on whether the UN can realistically develop a universal AI treaty. But props to them for recognizing that major oversight is needed as AI shapes more of our world. Loose cannons like facial recognition and deepfakes could cause some serious damage if taken too far. We'll be keeping an eye on the UN's next moves as the quest for AI governance continues.

#shorts