Following the adoption of the Global Digital Compact, the United Nations initiated an intergovernmental process and consultations to shape an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance within the UN. Aspen Digital’s Director of Emerging Technologies, B Cavello, was invited to participate in the Informal Consultation for Stakeholders on February 18, 2025. These are their remarks from the consultation.
The Global Digital Compact called for agile and adaptable cooperation on AI priorities to deliver on the promise of accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. In order to deliver on that promise, we must more clearly understand and articulate what direction we want to be headed in. The scientific panel and global dialogue should work together to address this question.
I appreciate the Global Digital Compact’s language around opportunity assessment. In order to achieve the SDGs, the global AI community must not only avoid the potential risks associated with AI, but also clearly articulate the priorities, challenges, and opportunities that AI must address in order to be a true public good.
Without meaningful measures of progress, the AI industry may continue to pursue goals that may be orthogonal or even antagonistic to the SDGs. While there are many claims being made, we lack answers to basic questions. Are the AI capabilities being developed today actually going to help with gender equality (goal 5)? With food security (goal 2)? With decent work (goal 8)? And more?
This should be the primary work of the scientific panel and global dialogue.
