And Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday endorsed a proposal by some artificial intelligence Officials call for the creation of an international AI watchdog body such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Generative AI technology that can spin authoritative prose from text prompts has captivated the public ever since chatgpt Launched six months ago and has become the fastest growing app ever. AI has also become a matter of concern for its ability to create deep fake photos and other misinformation.
“The alarm bells on the latest form of artificial intelligence – generative AI – are ringing deafening. And they are loudest from the developers who designed it,” Guterres told reporters. “We should take those warnings seriously.”
He also called for work to begin by the end of the year on a high-level AI advisory body to regularly review AI governance and make recommendations on how it can be aligned with human rights, the rule of law and the common good. The plan has been announced.
But on Monday he said, “I would be in favor of the idea that we could have an artificial intelligence agency … inspired by the International Atomic Energy Agency today.”
Guterres said such a model could be “very interesting”, but noted that “only member states can create it, not the UN Secretariat.” The Vienna-based IAEA was created in 1957 and promotes the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technologies by looking into possible violations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It has 176 member countries.
Creator of ChatGPT OpenAI It said last month that a body like the IAEA could impose restrictions on deployment, track compliance with security standards and use of computing power.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also supported the idea and said that he wants the UK to be the home of global AI security regulation. The UK is due to host a summit later this year on how coordinated international action can tackle the risks of AI.
Guterres said he supported plans for a summit in Britain, but said it must be preceded by “serious work”. He said he plans to appoint a scientific advisory board of AI experts and chief scientists from UN agencies in the coming days.
© Thomson Reuters 2023