GENEVA — A United Nations-appointed scientific panel has urged governments to take immediate coordinated action to address the accelerating risks posed by artificial intelligence, warning that the technology's capabilities are advancing faster than existing safeguards and governance systems can keep pace.
The warning comes in the preliminary report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, released ahead of the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, where governments, industry representatives, researchers and civil society groups met this week to discuss international approaches to AI oversight.
The panel, made up of independent scientists and experts from all UN regions, described its report as the first global independent scientific assessment of AI's opportunities, risks and impacts. It said artificial intelligence could significantly advance healthcare, education, scientific research and sustainable development if deployed responsibly, but warned that unchecked development could also increase risks to security, human rights, democratic institutions and social stability.
"The world cannot govern what it cannot understand," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in remarks accompanying the report's release, calling for science-based policymaking to support international cooperation on AI governance.
Speaking at the Global Dialogue in Geneva, Guterres said governments should not delay establishing internationally coordinated safeguards, arguing that AI is evolving more rapidly than regulatory frameworks. He also called for stronger protections for children, broader access to AI technologies for developing countries and governance arrangements that command global trust.
According to the panel, policymakers face an "evidence challenge" because scientific understanding often lags behind technological progress, making it difficult to develop effective rules before systems become widely deployed. The report examines AI across seven areas, including economic impacts, security, environmental implications, governance, human rights and child safety, while emphasizing that it is intended to provide evidence rather than prescribe specific regulations.
The panel said it would continue consulting researchers and issuing thematic briefs on emerging issues before publishing a more comprehensive report in 2027. That assessment is expected to inform the second Global Dialogue on AI Governance, scheduled to take place in New York next year.
The Geneva discussions have highlighted growing international concern over the concentration of advanced AI capabilities in a small number of countries and companies, alongside calls from governments and experts for more inclusive global governance as AI systems become increasingly powerful.
