The UN General Assembly is set to vote on Thursday on the first resolution on artificial intelligence (AI), which aims to make it "safe, secure and trustworthy".
The resolution was put forth by the United States, which hopes that all 193 UN member states will vote to adopt it.
The US Mission to the UN, along with 54 co-sponsors of the resolution, said last week that AI "has enormous potential to shape our economies, societies, and the world for the better," adding that countries must "ensure these benefits extend across the globe to countries at all levels of development".
The proposed resolution wants to close the digital divide between developed countries and developing countries and make sure countries have the capabilities to take advantage of the benefits of the technology.
These include helping to detect disease, predicting floods, helping farmers, and training the next generation of workers.
The US said there is an "urgent need" to address AI amid its rapid development.
Global regulation of AI
The resolution also recognises that “the governance of artificial intelligence systems is an evolving area” that needs further discussions on possible governance approaches.
Big tech companies generally have supported the need to regulate AI, while lobbying to ensure any rules work in their favour.
EU lawmakers gave final approval this month to the world’s first comprehensive AI rules, which are on track to take effect by May or June after a few final formalities.
Countries around the world, including the US and China, and the Group of 20 major industrialised nations are also moving to draw up AI regulations.
The UN draft resolution takes note of other efforts including by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the International Telecommunication Union to ensure that AI is used to benefit the world.
It encourages all countries, regional and international organisations, tech communities, civil society, the media, academia, research institutions and individuals “to develop and support regulatory and governance approaches and frameworks” for safe AI systems.
It warns against “improper or malicious design, development, deployment and use of artificial intelligence systems, such as without adequate safeguards or in a manner inconsistent with international law".
A key goal, according to the draft resolution, is to use AI to help spur progress toward achieving the UN's badly lagging development goals for 2030, including ending global hunger and poverty, improving health worldwide, ensuring quality secondary education for all children and achieving gender equality.
The draft calls on the 193 UN member states and others to assist developing countries to access the benefits of digital transformation and safe AI systems, emphasising that "human rights and fundamental freedoms must be respected, protected and promoted through the life cycle of artificial intelligence systems".
Negotiations on the resolution began about three months ago. The US spent hundreds of hours in direct talks with individual countries and 42 hours in negotiations, and accepted input from 120 nations, a senior US official said.
The resolution went through several drafts and achieved consensus support from all member states last week, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.
