| BY : Kanwal Abidi |
New York USA : Today, the UN General Assembly in New York adopted by consensus a resolution establishing principles for the deployment and use of artificial intelligence (AI). This resolution, proposed by the United States and co-sponsored by more than 100 countries, is a historic step in fostering safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems.
The resolution adopted today lays out a comprehensive vision for how countries should respond to the opportunities and challenges of AI. It lays out a path for international cooperation on AI, including to promote equitable access, take steps to manage the risks of AI, protect privacy, guarding against misuse, prevent exacerbated bias and discrimination. Developed in consultation with civil society and private sector experts, the resolution squarely addresses the priorities of many developing countries, such as encouraging AI capacity building and harnessing the technology to advance sustainable development. Critically, the resolution makes clear that protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms must be central to the development and use of AI systems.
From the time he took office, President Biden has prioritized restoring our American leadership at the United Nations and on the world stage. For this reason, the United States turned to the UN General Assembly to have a truly global conversation on how to manage the implications of this fast-advancing technology. While it took nearly four months and countless hours of negotiations, the world now has a baseline set of principles to guide next steps in AI’s development and use.
We now look forward to building off of this landmark achievement. As this technology swiftly evolves, we will continue to strengthen international cooperation and respond to the far-reaching implications of AI.
