(Geneva) Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) represent a serious threat to human rights, warned the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Saturday, calling for the establishment of “effective safeguards”.
“I am deeply troubled by the potential for harm from recent advances in artificial intelligence,” Volker Türk said in a brief statement.
“Human dignity and all human rights are seriously threatened,” he added.
Mr. Türk made “an urgent appeal to businesses and governments to quickly develop effective safeguards”.
“We will follow this file closely, we will bring our specific expertise and we will ensure that the human rights dimension remains central to the development of this file”, he assured.
This week, dozens of countries, including the United States and China, urged regulation of the development and use of artificial intelligence in the military, citing the risks of “unintended consequences”.
The text, signed by more than 60 countries, also raises concerns about “the issue of human involvement as well as ‘lack of clarity regarding liability’ and ‘potential unintended consequences’.”
But AI is also infusing our daily lives, from smartphones to health and safety. It has become the new battleground for internet giants, with Microsoft getting a head start by betting billions on ChatGPT.
Artificial intelligence promises a revolution in Internet research and other uses yet to be invented. But experts warn that it also presents risks (breaches of privacy, biased algorithms, etc.) that will require regulation, which is difficult to put in place as these technologies progress rapidly.
Different democratic countries want to regulate the sector. Currently, the European Union is at the center of these regulatory efforts, its “AI Act” bill, supposed to encourage innovation and avoid abuses, could be finalized at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024, for application a few more years. late.