UN report explores potential benefits and risks from AI

A UN independent scientific panel of 40 experts has released a preliminary report warning that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) poses significant risks alongside its potential benefits. The assessment highlights that AI capabilities are advancing faster than our scientific understanding and the ability of governments to respond. There is increasing evidence of deceptive AI behaviour and potential catastrophic risks.

Globally, over a billion people use conversational AI tools on a weekly basis, but adoption remains uneven. Development is also highly concentrated, with the US and China controlling 90% of the world's supercomputer power. Furthermore, large language models (LLMs) support only a small fraction of the world's 7000 spoken languages, leading to significant translation errors.

The report goes on to highlight that unchecked deployment of AI presents serious risks, including the proliferation of deepfakes, non-consensual sexual images and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), along with targeted persuasive content that erodes information integrity and public trust. The report notes that most countries currently lack the technical expertise required to evaluate advanced models or participate in their governance. As a consequence, policymakers face critical challenges in controlling highly autonomous systems and mitigating widespread social, economic, and environmental impacts.

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