Speaking at the Digital World Conference: AI for Social Development, co‑organised by the UN Research Institute for Social Development, Professor Hinton argued that governance frameworks must catch up with accelerating technological capability to ensure AI serves society rather than undermines stability. “If a car has no brake, trouble follows downhill,” Professor Hinton told delegates. “But a car with no steering wheel creates even greater danger.”
The remarks came during a week of intensified global AI policy activity, as UN bodies and governments pushed forward discussions on governance, inclusion and risk management amid AI’s growing influence across labour markets, social protection systems, education and the green energy transition.
A central concern raised across multiple UN forums is the widening gap between countries shaping AI and countries mostly consuming AI. According to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the global AI market is projected to expand from $189 billion in 2023 to $4.8 trillion by 2033, effectively creating a major new global industry within a decade. The capacity to build and steer that industry remains concentrated among a small number of economies and firms, UNCTAD leadership warned.
Doreen Bogdan‑Martin, Secretary‑General of the International Telecommunication Union, highlighted that generative AI adoption in the industrialised Global North is growing almost twice as fast as adoption in the Global South, deepening the risk of a “second great divergence” in economic power and technological influence.
At the same time, participants warned that AI governance must be rights‑based and transparent, especially as algorithmic bias, opaque decision‑making and data concentration increasingly shape social outcomes.
A major data‑driven initiative now underway is the UN Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which held a first in‑person meeting in Madrid. Co‑chair Maria Ressa described an emerging risk landscape that includes information manipulation at scale and institutional weakening through “narrative warfare”. Findings from the panel will feed into the UN Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, scheduled for July in Geneva.
UN Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Gill said the UN process is designed to connect scientific assessment with global policy coordination, building common approaches across Member States, civil society, academia and the technology sector.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
