WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - UN Secretary-General AntOnio Guterres told the inaugural meeting of a new independent group of experts on Artificial Intelligence convened by the UN that they have a huge responsibility to help shape how it is used 'for the benefit of humanity.'
'Individually, you come from diverse regions and disciplines, bringing outstanding expertise in AI and related fields. Collectively, you represent something the world has never seen before,' The UN chief told scientists on Tuesday at the first meeting of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.
The 40 experts aim to help close 'the AI knowledge gap' and assess the real impact the frontier technology will have across economies and societies so that countries can act with the same 'clarity' on a level playing field.
The experts will provide scientific assessments independent of any government, company or institution - including the United Nations.
'AI is advancing at lightning speed... no country, no company, and no field of research can see the full picture alone,' Guterres said, adding that 'the world urgently needs a shared, global understanding of artificial intelligence; grounded not in ideology, but in science.'
As AI develops rapidly Mr Guterres told scientists the panel is also 'in a race against time.'
Addressing concerns that AI is moving too fast, he said that 'never in the future will we move as slow as we are moving now. We are indeed in a high level of acceleration.'
Drawing on progress made in another UN initiative, the High-Level Advisory Body on AI, which confronts AI policy-oriented issues, the Secretary-General emphasized that the new scientist panel does not 'start from zero'.
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