GENEVA — Unregulated artificial intelligence poses risks that “keep us awake at night,” the head of the United Nations agency for digital technology warned at a summit on Wednesday.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), delivered the cautionary remarks on the opening day of the “AI for Good Summit.” The event, held in Geneva, has brought together delegates from around the world to discuss how to maximize the benefits of AI while controlling its risks.
“It’s not the benefits; it’s the risks of artificial intelligence that keep us all awake at night,” Bogdan-Martin said.
The summit’s organizers aim to highlight how AI can address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, disease, and hunger. However, Bogdan-Martin emphasized that too few people currently control the technology’s development. She called for the global community to work towards an inclusive AI environment that aligns with the U.N.’s policies on diversity and gender.
“It is risky and ethically precarious to be in this kind of position for humanity,” she added.
