A historic resolution on AI was adopted by the UN General Assembly with the goal of advancing the ethical and safe advancement of AI technologies globally.

On March 21, the resolution, which was co-sponsored by more than 120 nations, was overwhelmingly approved by the 193 UN members. This is the first time that the UN has created international AI standards and regulations.

The creation of “safe, secure, and trustworthy” AI systems that uphold fundamental freedoms and human rights is demanded in the eight-page resolution. It exhorts parties involved and member states to abstain from using AI in a way that violates international human rights legislation.

Significant components of the resolution consist of:

• Increasing public knowledge of the advantages and dangers of AI
• Increasing resources and capacity for AI research and development
• Ensuring AI technologies are transparent and protect privacy addressing the problems of prejudice and diversity in AI algorithms and datasets
• The resolution also calls on governments to create national guidelines, regulations, and standards for the creation and application of moral AI. It demands that UN organizations give needy nations technological support.

The US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, stated that “The resolution adopted today lays out a comprehensive vision for how countries should respond to the opportunities and challenges of AI.”

It lays out a roadmap for international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, outlining measures to control the dangers associated with the technology, safeguard privacy, avoid misuse, and stop the exacerbation of bias.