The United Nations has established a 40-member international scientific panel to study the risks and impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), despite strong opposition from the United States. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the panel as a “foundational step toward global scientific understanding of AI,” aiming to give all member states equal access to independent, evidence-based guidance.
International Backing and Controversy
The UN General Assembly approved the panel with a vote of 117-2, with the U.S. and Paraguay voting against and Tunisia and Ukraine abstaining. Nations including Russia, China, and European allies supported the initiative. The panel, selected from more than 2,600 candidates through an independent review process, will serve three-year terms and produce annual reports on AI’s risks, opportunities, and societal impacts. Europe holds 12 seats, including representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Finland, Austria, Latvia, Turkey, and Russia.
Voices from the AI Industry
The move comes as former AI employees publicly raise alarms about the technology. Mrinank Sharma, a former safety researcher at Anthropic, warned that “the world is in peril,” while former OpenAI researcher Zoe Hitzig expressed “deep reservations” about her former company’s approach. Prominent figures such as Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Steve Wozniak have also highlighted potential risks of AI’s rapid development.
U.S. Pushback on UN Authority
The United States has criticized the panel as exceeding the UN’s mandate. Lauren Lovelace, the U.S. representative, called it “a significant overreach” and argued that “AI governance is not a matter for the UN to dictate.” Despite this opposition, UN officials stress that the panel is intended to provide independent scientific insight, not enforce rules, allowing countries of all technological capacities to better understand and manage AI risks.
