New York: The first report issued by a United Nations independent scientific panel on artificial intelligence (AI) has highlighted the technology’s transformative potential while warning that its rapid and largely unregulated development poses significant risks that demand stronger global governance and oversight.
Report calls for stronger AI governance as adoption accelerates worldwide, with developing nations lagging behind and concerns growing over security, human rights and misinformation.
The report, which will be presented at the inaugural United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva on July 6-7, 2026, says AI is being adopted at an unprecedented pace, although access and benefits remain unevenly distributed across the world.
According to the report, more than one billion people now use conversational AI applications every week. However, many developing countries continue to lag behind in adopting AI technologies, widening the global digital divide.
While emphasizing AI’s enormous potential to advance economic growth and improve public services, the panel cautioned that the technology also presents serious challenges. These include threats to mental health, security, human rights and social cohesion, alongside the increasing spread of deepfakes, misinformation and other forms of deceptive digital content.
The report also underscored the concentration of AI development in a small number of countries. It noted that the United States accounts for approximately 75 percent of the computing power supporting the world’s largest AI systems, compared with 15 percent for China. Most countries, it added, lack the technical expertise needed to evaluate advanced AI models or participate effectively in shaping global AI governance.
The study outlines seven priority areas for the panel’s work, covering the science of AI and future technological developments; applications in sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture; economic impacts; security and environmental implications; effects on human rights, information integrity and democracy; cultural and individual well-being, autonomy and child safety; and frameworks for AI governance, accountability and trustworthiness.
The panel stressed that the report is a preliminary assessment and marks the beginning of a broader scientific effort. It plans to expand the evidence base through consultations with researchers and experts worldwide and will produce specialized papers addressing rapidly evolving AI-related issues.
The panel’s next annual report is scheduled to be presented during the second session of the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance, which will take place in New York in May 2027.
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