PD | “Technology must serve people, not the other way around”

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged governments and technology companies to work together to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) benefits all countries. He warned that without international cooperation, technology could widen global inequalities instead of advancing sustainable development.

Your Excellency, President Xi Jinping.

Thank you very much for your kind invitation and warm hospitality in the wonderful city of Shanghai.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Artificial intelligence may be the greatest opportunity for humanity in the 21st century.

It could also become one of its biggest risks.

As the Conference theme reminds us, a better future depends on partnerships.

And I thank China for bringing us together in this spirit.

President Xi’s 2023 launch of the Global AI Governance Initiative was a very strong message of Chinese commitment and leadership, and WAICO is the natural development of this.

The partnership is also at the center of the Global Digital Compact adopted by the United Nations General Assembly – with the full support of China.

The Compact clearly stated:

The technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all of humanity.

It cannot be governed by a handful of countries or a handful of companies.

Every nation needs a seat at the table.

And the table has now been built through the Global Dialogue on AI Governance – as called for by the Compact.

The first such dialogue, held this month in Geneva – and informed by the independent international scientific group – carried an overarching message:

Technology should serve people, not the other way around.

Excellencies,

Few areas hold more promise for our shared future than the application of AI to sustainable development.

AI can accelerate medical advances.

Transforming education.

Strengthening food systems and agricultural productivity.

Stimulate new industries and create decent jobs.

In short, AI can help make a quantum leap in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

But this will not happen if the historical injustices of the past are repeated in the technologies of the future.

And yet, a third of humanity is still offline.

Many countries continue to face gaps in connectivity, infrastructure and energy access.

Computing power, data resources and technical expertise remain concentrated.

Hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment are pouring into artificial intelligence – while many developing countries receive only a trickle.

AI risks pushing the world towards even greater inequality… greater gaps in income, in opportunities, in security… greater gaps between North and South.

We cannot allow this to happen.

The challenge ahead is to ensure that artificial intelligence becomes a force for greater inclusion and shared progress.

China has a vital role to play – and so do all of us.

I am encouraged that more than 20 countries – including China – have already responded to my invitation and nominated centers within a UN-backed global exchange and cooperation network on AI capacity building for developing countries.

And I will also soon propose recommendations for a Global AI Fund with the same objective.

I ask for your full support for both initiatives.

As we look to the future, let me highlight three priorities to ensure that all countries can benefit from the AI ​​revolution.

First – capacity.

Developing countries bring enormous assets to the AI ​​era.

Talent. Ideas. Young and dynamic populations.

Each country should be able to adapt this technology to its own needs: with its own skills, its own data, in its own languages.

At the United Nations, China helped advance the first General Assembly resolution on AI capacity building, adopted by consensus.

And developing countries deserve support to build this capacity.

The platforms and tools discussed here in Shanghai show what partnership can deliver.

Technology built with developing countries, for developing countries.

This means that countries can adapt open models.

China’s open source strategy is a huge global success.

We need to provide them with the computing power they can afford.

And training for the people who will use them.

Second – security.

Systems that cross borders need standards that cross borders.

We need common approaches to testing, risk assessment and accountability.

We need governance that is inclusive, networked and anchored in international law.

Human rights must be protected.

Humans must maintain control over every life and death decision.

And no AI system should be put in the hands of a child before it has been proven safe.

And third – sustainability.

AI can help accelerate the energy transition – by managing networks, integrating renewable energy and reducing waste.

But its growing needs for energy, water and land must be brought to light.

I’m calling on all major AI companies to disclose the full environmental footprint of their systems – and power them with renewable energy by 2030.

Several countries – and mainly China – are already requiring data centers to use more renewable energy each year.

I call on all governments to follow this example and integrate clean energy for AI into their national energy plans.

Excellencies,

The defining question is not whether artificial intelligence will transform the world. It will be.

The decisive question is whether this transformation will reduce inequalities or reinforce them.

Whether it concentrates power or expands opportunity.

Will this bring the promise of progress to every country – or only to those already ahead of the pack?

This is a test of technology – and a test of solidarity.

Let’s pass the test as partners for a better future – and make AI a force for dignity, opportunity and sustainability for all.

And I thank you.

These remarks » were delivered by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the opening ceremony of the World Conference on Artificial Intelligence.