Guterres: AI must be shaped by ‘all of humanity’, not a handful of powers

He warned that without international cooperation the technology could widen global inequality instead of advancing sustainable development. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Mr. Guterres described AI as “humanity’s greatest opportunity in the 21st century”, but cautioned that it could also become “one of its greatest risks”.

“Technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all of humanity”, he said, stressing that AI governance “cannot be governed by a handful of countries or companies” and that “every nation needs a seat at the table”. 

Progress pending

The UN has stepped up its work on AI governance over the past year, following the adoption of the Global Digital Compact and the establishment of the UN General Assembly-backed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI – the first global scientific panel on the revolutionary technology.

The first session of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance was held in Geneva earlier this month, where governments and stakeholders convened to have open, transparent and inclusive discussions on artificial intelligence governance. 

These recent initiatives are intended to help countries share expertise, promote common standards and ensure developing nations have a stronger voice in shaping the technology’s future.

Mr. Guterres said the next phase must focus on turning those commitments into practical support so that all countries can benefit from AI’s rapid development.

Closing the divide

The Secretary-General said AI has enormous potential to accelerate medical breakthroughs, transform education, strengthen food systems and create jobs, helping drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

But he warned that many developing countries remain at risk of being left behind.

“One-third of humanity is still offline,” he noted, while computing power, technical expertise and investment remain heavily concentrated in a small number of countries and companies. 

Unless those disparities are addressed, AI could lead to “greater inequalities, greater divides in income, in opportunity, in security”.

To help bridge those gaps, Mr. Guterres said more than 20 countries, including China, have already nominated centres for a UN-supported Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity Building. 

He also announced that he will soon present recommendations for a Global Fund for AI and called on governments to support both initiatives.

Three priorities

The Secretary-General outlined three priorities for ensuring AI benefits everyone: expanding capacity in developing countries, establishing international safety standards, and making AI more environmentally sustainable. 

He said developing countries should have the tools to build AI systems using their own data, languages and expertise, while governments should adopt common approaches to testing and risk management grounded in international law.

“Human rights must be protected” the UN chief said. “Humans must keep control over every life-and-death decision.” He also stressed that “no AI system should be put in a child’s hands before it has been proven safe”.

On sustainability, Mr. Guterres called on major AI companies to disclose the environmental footprint of their systems and power their operations with renewable energy by 2030, urging governments to integrate clean energy for AI into national plans. 

“The defining question is whether that transformation will reduce inequalities or reinforce them,” he said. “Whether it will concentrate power or expand opportunity.”