Humanity is racing against time to harness the immense potential of artificial intelligence for the benefit of all, while simultaneously striving to avert significant risks, stated a leading UN official on Thursday.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union (ITU), emphasized the urgency of the situation during the opening of the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva.
“We’ve let the genie out of the bottle, we are in a race against time,” she reiterated to the thousands in attendance at the two-day conference, which focused on leveraging AI to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, hunger, and social care.
Recent advancements in generative AI have been nothing short of remarkable, accelerating efforts to address these critical issues.
“I believe we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to guide AI to benefit all the world’s people,” Bogdan-Martin shared in an email to AFP ahead of the summit.
Despite the optimism surrounding AI’s potential, Bogdan-Martin expressed concern over the digital divide that still exists.
She lamented that one-third of humanity remains entirely offline, effectively excluded from the AI revolution and deprived of a voice in shaping its future.
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“This digital and technological divide is no longer acceptable,” she asserted, calling for urgent action to bridge this gap and ensure equitable access to the benefits of AI.
Bogdan-Martin emphasized AI’s “immense potential for both good and bad,” highlighting the critical need to “make AI systems safe.”
She noted the urgency, particularly as “2024 is the biggest election year in history,” with elections in many countries, including the United States. “With the rise of sophisticated deep fakes and disinformation campaigns, it’s also the most contentious one,” she added.
“This misuse of AI threatens democracy, endangers young people’s mental health, and compromises cybersecurity,” Bogdan-Martin warned.
Speaking at a separate AI governance event, she raised concerns about the concentration of AI power in too few hands. However, she also acknowledged that governments and other stakeholders are increasingly focused on regulating and protecting AI use.