An AI advisory body at the United Nations (UN) has released a report outlining its recommendations to address the risks posed by AI technology and gaps in its governance.

Among its seven recommendations, the advisory body suggested that a global AI fund should be established to address capacity gaps and increase collaboration. This would enhance AI governance capacity and create more opportunities for training.

In its report, the advisory body also proposed setting up an AI standards exchange involving representatives from standards organisations, tech companies, and civil society to ensure the technical interoperability of AI systems across countries.

The report warned that if AI remains ungoverned, the opportunities the technology provides may not be distributed equitably. Widening these digital divides could limit the benefits of AI to “a handful of states, companies, and individuals.”

The recommendations will be discussed at a summit to be held later this year.

The advisory body was established in October last year and comprises 39 AI leaders from 33 countries across multiple sectors.

“This suite of technologies offers tremendous potential for good, from opening new areas of scientific inquiry and optimising energy grids to improving public health and agriculture and promoting broader progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the report said. “Missed uses – failing to take advantage of and share AI-related benefits because of a lack of trust or missing enablers such as capacity gaps and ineffective governance – could limit the opportunity.”

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