Guterres warns of risks of artificial intelligence

UNITED NATIONS, July 19 (Xinhua): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned of the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and called for a race to develop AI for good purposes.
AI is being put to work in connection with peace and security, including by the United Nations. It is increasingly being used to identify patterns of violence, monitor cease-fires and more, helping to strengthen peacekeeping, mediation and humanitarian efforts. But AI tools can also be used by those with malicious intent, he told the Security Council in its first-ever debate on AI.
"AI models can help people to harm themselves and each other, at a massive scale. Let's be clear: The malicious use of AI systems for terrorist, criminal or state purposes could cause horrific levels of death and destruction, widespread trauma, and deep psychological damage on an unimaginable scale," he warned.
AI-enabled cyberattacks are already targeting critical infrastructure and UN peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, causing great human suffering, he noted.
The technical and financial barriers to access are low, including for criminals and terrorists. Both military and non-military applications of AI could have very serious consequences for global peace and security, he said.