A recent report by a UN independent scientific panel on AI highlights the enormous potential benefits and significant risks associated with the rapid development of artificial intelligence. The report, which will be presented to governments at the UN Global Dialogue on AI governance in Geneva, notes that while AI offers huge potential benefits to countries and people around the world, its capabilities are outpacing scientific understanding and governments’ ability to adapt.

Risks and Challenges

The report warns of growing evidence of deceptive AI behavior and notes that science cannot guarantee AI will not cause catastrophic harm, either on its own or due to malicious users, as capabilities increase. The potential benefits of AI are enormous, but the rapid, unchecked deployment of the technology at scale also presents considerable risks, including harms to the mental health of users, potential use as a destructive tool, impacts on social, economic, and environmental systems, and challenges associated with controlling the technology.

AI adoption has accelerated broadly, but unevenly, across countries and sectors. Globally, over a billion people now use conversational AI weekly, but adoption in developing countries lags. The report also notes that AI development is concentrated, with the US accounting for 75% of the computing power among the world’s top 500 AI supercomputers, and China accounting for 15%.

The report highlights several risks associated with AI, including potential negative impacts on human rights, social systems, and the environment. It also notes that AI-generated child sexual abuse material and deepfake-enabled sexual violence are circulating more frequently. Additionally, AI makes it easier to produce and target persuasive content at scale, contributing to a gradual erosion of information integrity that can weaken public trust, social cohesion, and democratic deliberation.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.