Pakistan Warns UN Security Council Of AI Risks To Global Peace And Equality
Pakistan has warned the UN Security Council that an unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) boom poses risks to global peace and equality, according to a news report from UrduPoint.
"Concerted efforts are required to erect the necessary guardrails, regulations, and governance frameworks," stated Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, during a briefing on 'Artificial Intelligence and International Security' held by the 15-member Council.
Dar emphasized the need for restraint in the military domain and confidence-building measures to avoid risks of miscalculation and rapid decision-making, while also highlighting the importance of international cooperation to ensure AI is representative, transparent, and inclusive.
The meeting, convened by France, which currently holds the Council presidency, was chaired by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
Tech industry leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face also addressed the Council, sharing recent developments in AI and highlighting both its potential benefits and inherent problems. The session was held amidst growing concern about the rapid expansion of AI without sufficient safeguards.
The United Nations is actively working on this issue through initiatives like the Global Digital Compact and the UN-backed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.
Senator Dar made several key points:
- Maintaining human judgment and control is paramount in all stages of AI design, development, and integration.
- AI should not be controlled by a few actors; instead, international collaboration should be fostered to develop AI that is representative, comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive.
- As AI intensifies existing challenges like misinformation, fake news, and cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, concrete actions are necessary to address gaps and challenges with significant implications for peace and security.
- Measures implemented in the name of safety should not become tools for technology denial.
Dar expressed Pakistan's view that no single company or country can manage these risks alone, and competitive pressures drive a race that no one can win safely. He also warned that today's asymmetries and divides could aggravate the situation, turning a safety agenda into a strategy of technological exclusion.