United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for the creation of a $3 billion global fund to ensure equitable access to artificial intelligence, warning that leaving the technology to the “whims of a few billionaires or a limited number of countries” could exacerbate global inequality. He made the remarks while addressing tech leaders at the Global AI Summit in India.
Guterres emphasized that AI has the potential to drive tremendous benefits if managed responsibly. He highlighted its applications in accelerating medical research, expanding educational opportunities, improving food security, supporting climate initiatives, enhancing disaster readiness, and bolstering public safety systems.
However, the UN chief cautioned that without proper oversight, AI could deepen inequality, reinforce biases, and cause harm. “No child should be a test subject for unregulated AI,” Guterres stated, stressing the need for international safeguards and ethical standards to guide technological development.
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The UN, through its AI scientific advisory board, will provide guidance to nations navigating AI policy and implementation. Guterres urged that access to AI must be open and inclusive, warning that failing to act could leave many countries excluded from the AI era, further widening the global digital divide.
The $3 billion fund proposed by Guterres represents less than 1% of the annual revenue of a single major tech company, illustrating that even a modest investment could help ensure fairness and accountability in AI deployment worldwide. The fund aims to support international collaboration, regulatory frameworks, and research for safe and inclusive AI.
Speaking in the presence of leading tech executives, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google’s Sundar Pichai, Guterres underlined that global cooperation and robust governance are critical. He concluded by calling for international guardrails to provide oversight, transparency, and shared benefits from the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
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