UNIC Manama highlights multilateral cooperation in addressing Artificial Intelligence

"Artificial Intelligence is driving a transformative change globally, but we are still not sure as to where it is leading us," Ahmed Ben Lassoued, Director of the United Nations Information Centre for the Gulf Countries (UNIC Manama), told participants of a regional media forum on Artificial Intelligence this week.

Speaking at the Arab Parliamentary Media Forum, organized by the Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO) of the League of Arab States from 1 to 3 October in Manama, Bahrain, Ben Lassoued highlighted AI's opportunities for sustainable development and accelerating the SDGs.

"But the opportunities of AI are not shared equally", he warned, mentioning the concentration of AI capabilities within a very limited number of companies and countries, as well as gender and social disparities, including access to AI infrastructure.

"A Globally coordinated approach towards AI governance is the only way to harness AI for humanity's good while addressing its risks and uncertainties," he said, stressing the role of the United Nations.  

"As the universal platform for dialogue and consensus, the United Nations is uniquely placed to promote digital cooperation, including best practices for AI capacity building," Ben Lassoued said, referring to international principles, norms and standards included in the UN Charter, the international humanitarian law and the international human rights law. 

Ben Lassoued recalled the recent AI-related initiatives by the United Nations, including the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, the recent report by the High-Level Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence, and the Global Digital Compact, which was adopted by world leaders as part of the Pact for the Future at the recent Summit of the Future in September.

The forum was attended by a number of high-ranking officials, parlementarians and journalists from the Arab countries, including Bahrain's Speaker of the Council of Representatives and Chairman of the Shura Council (Consultative Assembly) who attended the opening ceremony.