UN Secretary-General to establish AI advisory body

In the recently launched Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, the UN Secretary-General (SG) notes that he intends to establish a multistakeholder advisory board on global artificial intelligence (AI) co-operation. The body would provide guidance to the SG and the broader international community on AI that is ‘trustworthy, human-rights based, safe and sustainable and promotes peace’. It could also serve as a platform to share and promote best practices, and exchange views on AI standardisation and compliance efforts. In terms of composition, the advisory body will include UN member states, UN entities, companies, academic institutions, and civil society groups. The roadmap also underlines three main AI-related challenges: (a) a lack of representation and inclusiveness in global discussions on AI (in particular when it comes to developing countries); (b) a lack of overall co-ordination between AI-related initiatives; (c) the need for additional capacity and expertise for the public sector to be better equipped to engage on AI and bring national oversight or governance to the use of AI.