Yoshua Bengio and Maria Ressa to Lead UN’s Independent AI Panel
MANILA, Philippines – A pivotal moment in the global conversation surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) has arrived. Rappler CEO and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa will serve as one of two co-chairs of the United Nations’ Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, alongside the esteemed Canadian computer scientist and AI pioneer, Yoshua Bengio. This landmark panel, the first of its kind globally, was officially announced in February, boasting a diverse roster of 40 members.
A Diverse Panel for a Complex Challenge
The panel’s strength lies in its multidisciplinary composition. Members hail from academia, the private sector, civil society, government, international organizations, and the technical community. Their expertise spans core technical AI development, applied AI, safety infrastructure, and crucially, AI policy, ethics, and societal impact. This holistic approach is vital for navigating the complex challenges and opportunities presented by rapidly evolving AI technologies.
Yoshua Bengio: A Leading Voice in AI
Yoshua Bengio is a professor at Université de Montréal, co-president of LawZero, and the founder of Mila, a world-renowned AI research institute. He is a recipient of the prestigious 2018 Turing Award – often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing” – and currently stands as the world’s most-cited computer scientist. His contributions to deep learning and neural networks have been foundational to the advancements we see in AI today. You can learn more about his work at Mila’s website.
UN Secretary-General Highlights the Urgency
UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the urgency of the panel’s mission during its inaugural virtual meeting. He stated that, much like AI itself, “this Panel is in a race against time.” Guterres emphasized the need for swift action, outlining expectations for the panel to establish working methods, prioritize key areas, form focused working groups, and deliver a comprehensive, evidence-based assessment within a short timeframe.
This assessment will directly inform the first annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance, co-chaired by Egriselda López of El Salvador and Rein Tammsaar of Estonia. Guterres further noted the accelerating pace of AI development, stating, “never in the future will we move as slow as we are moving now.”
The Future of AI Governance
The formation of this UN panel signifies a growing global recognition of the need for responsible AI development and governance. With leaders like Yoshua Bengio and Maria Ressa at the helm, the panel is poised to play a critical role in shaping the future of AI and ensuring its benefits are shared equitably while mitigating potential risks. This initiative represents a crucial step towards a future where AI serves humanity’s best interests. For further information, you can visit the United Nations website.
