Artificial intelligence is rapidly developing, with warnings about its potential dangers growing louder. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is one of the voices calling for these warnings to be taken seriously. He supports the calls for a regulatory body to oversee AI technology, like the UN IAEA, and suggests that a Global Digital Compact should be established to address the issues associated with AI’s development. This includes the need to address the damage caused by digital technology, such as the spread of hatred and lies that threaten democracy, human rights, as well as human health and climate protection.
While social media has its benefits, it is also a source of fear, with disinformation and hate speech increasingly contributing to violence and conflict. The report “Policy Brief Information Integrity on Digital Platforms presented by Guterres suggests that governments should promote policies that promote facts and freedom of expression, while exposing conspiracy myths and lies. Tech companies should also do more to prevent their platforms from contributing to violence and hate, and focus on building business models based on a healthy information ecosystem.
The UN is also working on a code of conduct for the integrity of information on digital platforms, to be presented by the end of 2024. The report proposes that governments, businesses, and other stakeholders commit not to use, support, or amplify disinformation and hate speech. Advertisers would be held accountable if they profit from the distribution of malicious content, while journalists would be guaranteed an independent media landscape. The report suggests that vulnerable users, including young people, should have more input into policymaking. As for researchers, they should have access to vast amounts of data while preserving the privacy of users.
In addition, the report stresses that AI applications must be safe, ethically responsible, and not violate human rights. The rise of generative artificial intelligence should not distract from the problems already caused by the technology. Finally, the policy brief emphasizes the speed at which technology is growing, with some platforms reaching 100 million active users in just a few months. As such, it is crucial that solutions are found to the issues associated with AI technology before it becomes too late.
