China says AI should not become a ‘runaway horse’ as UN Security Council holds first meeting on tech risks
- China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun said Beijing supports a central coordinating role of the global body on establishing guiding principles for artificial intelligence
- UN chief Antonio Guterres said AI could have very ‘serious consequences’ for global peace as the US warned against the technology’s use to repress people
The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting on artificial intelligence on Tuesday where China said the technology should not become a “runaway horse” and the United States warned against its use to censor or repress people.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who chaired the meeting under London’s July presidency of the body, said AI will “fundamentally alter every aspect of human life.”
“We urgently need to shape the global governance of transformative technologies because AI knows no borders,” he added after saying that AI could help address climate change and boost economies. But he also warned that the technology fuels disinformation and could aid both state and non-state actors in a quest for weapons.
The 15-member council was briefed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Jack Clark, co-founder of high-profile AI start-up Anthropic, and Professor Zeng Yi, co-director of the China-UK Research Centre for AI Ethics and Governance.
“Both military and non-military applications of AI could have very serious consequences for global peace and security,” Guterres said.