United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called on political and business leaders to prioritize a global strategy to tackle the twin threats of artificial intelligence and the climate crisis. In a special speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Guterres warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence could lead to "serious unintended consequences." Guterres said in his opening speech: "It is a pleasure to return to Davos, which highlights the global crisis of trust."
“I believe this crisis is a direct result of the paradox our world faces,” he added: “We seem unable to act collectively in the face of a host of existential threats posed by runaway climate chaos and runaway development of artificial intelligence.
"Rebuilding Trust" is the theme of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting. The World Economic Forum stated that this year's Davos Forum reflects the spirit of "back to basics" open and constructive dialogue between policymakers, business leaders and civil society, and artificial intelligence is becoming a major topic of discussion.
Advocates of AI say AI technology can benefit humanity in multiple ways, including fast-tracking patient diagnoses, helping model climate change and combating cyberattacks.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on Tuesday that he believes there is a need for global coordination on artificial intelligence and agreeing on a set of standards and appropriate safeguards for the technology.
The US tech giant is a major player in the race to develop artificial intelligence, plowing billions of dollars into OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT.
“Every new interaction with generative AI increases the risk of serious unintended consequences,” Guterres said. “This technology has huge potential for sustainable development, but as the International Monetary Fund has just warned us, it is likely to exacerbate inequality in the world.”
The International Monetary Fund said in a report released on Sunday that nearly 40% of the world's jobs may be affected by the rise of artificial intelligence. It also warned that in most cases the technology's potential impact on global labor markets could exacerbate overall inequality.
"It is no secret that some powerful technology companies are already chasing profits with a clear disregard for human rights, personal privacy and social impact," Guterres said, without naming any specific companies.
“Governments, the media and leaders in Davos are discussing climate and artificial intelligence at length. Yet we do not have an effective global strategy to deal with either issue,” he said.
He said: "The reason is simple, geopolitical divisions prevent us from coming together on global solutions to global challenges. No wonder people around the world are losing face in governments, institutions, financial and economic systems".