James Manyika Named Co-Chair of UN’s AI Advisory Body for Global Governance

The Secretary-General of the United Nations announced the creation of a new Artificial Intelligence Advisory Body on risks, opportunities and international governance of artificial intelligence. That body will support the international community’s efforts to govern artificial intelligence. One of the co-chairs of the body is the Zimbabwe-born, James Manyika, Senior Vice President of Google-Alphabet, President for Research, Technology and Society.

For developing economies, AI offers the possibility of leapfrogging outdated technologies and bringing services directly to people who need them most. The transformative potential of AI for good is difficult even to grasp.

And without entering into a host of doomsday scenarios, it is already clear that the malicious use of AI could undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cohesion and threaten democracy itself.

For all these reasons, I have called for a global, multidisciplinary, multistakeholder conversation on the governance of AI so that its benefits to humanity – all of humanity – are maximized, and the risks contained and diminished.

António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations

The formation of the AI Advisory Body marks a significant step in United Nations’ efforts to address issues in the international governance of artificial intelligence.
The new initiative will foster a globally inclusive approach, drawing on the UN’s unique convening power as a universal and inclusive forum on critical challenges.

Bringing together experts from government, the private sector, the research community, civil society, and academia, the Body’s global, gender-balanced and interdisciplinary makeup will help it play a unique role in helping AI work for humanity.

The Body’s immediate tasks include building a global scientific consensus on risks and challenges, helping harness AI for the Sustainable Development Goals, and strengthening international cooperation on AI governance.

The Body will help bridge other existing and emerging initiatives on AI governance, and issue preliminary recommendations by end-2023, with final recommendations by summer 2024, ahead of the Summit of the Future.