Why the world needs the UN to keep an eye on AI

AI has no boss. It doesn’t really care about rules. And most of us have no say in what happens next.

But technology is all around us, entrenched in workplaces, financial systems, healthcare and defense. So maybe you need someone to keep an eye on progress and set boundaries.

The United Nations believes this and recently decided to set up an independent body to oversee the future development of AI. It seems a sensible move, but this attempt to create a successful forum for “rigorous, independent scientific knowledge” also highlights the inherent difficulties of governing technology on a global scale.

First of all, the US, which dominates AI development, wants nothing to do with the body. It voted against the United Nations idea (the same goes for Paraguay), calling it a “significant exaggeration.”

However, the UN argues that AI affects everyone and requires some global coordination. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the…