The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UN partners convened the 2024 edition of its annual AI for Good Global Summit. The Summit sought to identify practical applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), accelerate progress towards the SDGs and scale solutions that will have a global impact.
AI for Good, also known as Neural Networks, is an online community platform that brings together 30,000 participants from 180 countries, including academics, industry leaders, executives, experts, and 47 partners of the UN system, to identify AI solutions that can help accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. The summit took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 30 to 31 May 2024.
In her opening remarks, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin stressed that 2.6 billion people are “excluded from the AI revolution” and therefore cannot benefit from AI's “unimaginable opportunities.” “This digital and technological divide is no longer acceptable,” she stressed.
“[AI] It can accelerate sustainable development.”
— UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Bogdan Martin stressed that AI needs to be safe, inclusive and sustainable, and called attention to common underlying principles that are beginning to take shape to drive inclusive growth and innovation and build a safer and more secure digital future for all. He said these principles are embodied around three pillars:
- Managing risk and security. Harmonization of AI standards to ensure a rights-based approach that addresses safety, security, and ethical practices.
- Developing infrastructure and resources to build robust, unbiased AI systems.
- International cooperation to maximize the benefits of AI and responsibly manage its risks.
Bogdan Martin welcomed the recent “historic” United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on AI to promote safe, secure and trustworthy systems. He characterized September's Summit on the Future (SoF) and the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) as “an important opportunity to consolidate our efforts and take coordinated action.”
In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted “the transformative potential of AI to advance sustainable development around the world.” He highlighted the “enormous potential” of AI and stressed the need for responsible and inclusive governance.
In an interview with UN News, Google's head of international organizations, Merike Yetken Kurila, noted that last year was a “wow” year with announcements of large-scale language models and generative AI, but this year is about “how,” including how the private sector can partner with international organizations to “identify and establish rules and guardrails for AI.”
According to a UN report, “25,000 enthusiasts and robotics leaders from 145 countries added their voices to long-standing calls for checks and balances on all-conquering technologies” at the 2024 AI for Good Global Summit, held in parallel with a high-level event from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 forum.
One of the expected outcomes of the Future Summit, the Global Digital Compact, is expected to strengthen international governance of emerging technologies, including AI, for the benefit of humanity. [UN News Story on Forum’s Opening] [UN News Story on Forum’s Closing] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on 2023 AI for Good Global Summit]
