More than 50 members of the United Nations have partnered with the United States in an effort to draft a resolution aimed at establishing artificial intelligence (AI) safety guidelines. The draft resolution, titled 'Seizing the Opportunities of Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Systems for Sustainable Development,' seeks to create a shared approach to AI systems.
The resolution emphasizes the promotion of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems to address global challenges such as poverty elimination, global health, food security, climate change, energy, and education. It also focuses on bridging the digital divides between and within countries through capacity building and increasing digital literacy.
International consensus on AI policy has become a key focus for major nations, with the U.K. hosting an international safety summit where world leaders discussed concerns and signed a declaration. Signatories to the Bletchley Declaration, including the U.S., the U.K., China, Saudi Arabia, and members of the European Union, committed to establishing safety commissions and pursuing a shared policy.
The European Commission recently launched its AI office, serving as a global reference point for AI safety policy. The U.S. established the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute to develop standards for safety, security, and testing of AI models.
The U.S. national security adviser highlighted the importance of a global conversation on managing the implications of AI technology, leading to negotiations with the United Nations General Assembly. The resolution, developed with input from about 120 nations, will undergo formal consideration later this month.
The proposed resolution aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, aiming to end poverty and hunger and combat inequalities. It seeks to establish AI systems as human-centric, reliable, explainable, ethical, inclusive, privacy-preserving, and responsible, while respecting human rights and international laws.
Support for the resolution extends beyond the U.S., with countries like Morocco, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Dominican Republic, Australia, Romania, Israel, Canada, Finland, Greece, and other EU members endorsing the initiative. The European Mission to the United Nations has called on all UN Member States to co-sponsor and support the adoption of the resolution.
