It is imperative that there must be a global governance of the booming artificial intelligence field, the growth of which "cannot be left to the whims of markets alone," the United Nations said on Thursday.
The observations were made in a UN report – 'Governing AI for Humanity' – which said that though there is "tremendous potential" for good with AI, left ungoverned, it can lead to deep divides.
"The very nature of the technology itself – transboundary in structure and application – necessitates a global approach," the final report from the UN Secretary-General appointed panel read.
The report expressed concerns also over the scramble for minerals needed to keep the AI infrastructure in motion, "leading to a battle for power and wealth over these rare commodities on a global scale."
It also spoke about ethical questions which come to face us with the rise in AI-powered military attacks with little to no human intervention.
The report highlighted the AI divide already emerging among nations with only Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US parties to non-UN AI initiatives, while none of the 118 countries, mostly in the global south..
"Equity demands that more voices play meaningful roles in decisions about how to govern technology that affects us," the report said.
"The concentration of decision-making in the AI technology sector cannot be justified; we must also recognize that historically many communities have been entirely excluded from AI governance conversations that impact them," it added.
To tackle the problems posed by AI, the panel recommended an independent international scientific panel on AI, and a twice yearly meeting of government and other stakeholders to discuss the technology.
It also insisted that any deployment of AI in military settings must comply with international humanitarian law and human rights standards.
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