UN Chief warns AI is outpacing the world's ability to govern it

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the first-ever government-level global dialogue on AI in Geneva on Monday with a blunt warning: artificial intelligence is advancing faster than governments, institutions, or even its own creators can keep up with.

"A technology that can reshape economies, transform the world of work, sway elections and tilt the balance of security is being deployed faster than anyone, including the people building it, can keep up," Guterres told delegates.

Guterres framed the stakes plainly, telling delegates that "innovation needs guardrails" and that "if AI is to be powerful, it must be governed."

Unlike the International Treaty on AI governance, which is a subject of many debates, the Global Dialogue on AI Governance held for two days in Geneva is not aimed at making a treaty of any kind. Its main objective is to offer a common platform where governments, industries, and the public at large can discuss the issue of managing the risks of AI and capitalizing on its benefits.

Delegates will examine a report compiled by an independent scientific group of 40 experts backed by the United Nations and representing the first-ever independent independent scientific assessment of risks and opportunities posed by AI.

This meeting has been preceded by preliminary findings indicating the risks of massive damage should artificial intelligence be developed without regulation.

A more comprehensive follow-up report is planned for next year, alongside a second global gathering in New York.