Artificial intelligence under the microscope: Why the world must act now?

Today, it is able to write code, analyze massive amounts of data, create realistic images and videos, help scientists discover new drugs, and even carry out tasks semi-autonomously with limited human supervision.

However, at a time when the capabilities of artificial intelligence are accelerating, experts warn that the rules and controls necessary to ensure its safe use do not keep pace with this rapid development.

This is the conclusion of the preliminary report issued by the United Nations Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, which was launched on Wednesday.

The report warns that the opportunity to develop an effective global AI governance system still exists, but it may not remain so for long.

Why is this important?

Artificial intelligence may become one of the technologies most capable of radically transforming human life.

If used responsibly, it can contribute to accelerating progress towards achievement Sustainable development goalsby improving health care, education, scientific research, and agriculture, and enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities.

But without controls, this same technology may deepen inequalities, spread misinformation, threaten human rights, unbalance labor markets, and put powerful AI systems in the hands of too few governments and companies.

The challenge, according to the report, lies in finding a balance that allows taking advantage of the enormous benefits of artificial intelligence while reducing its increasing risks.

Exceptional pace of development

Artificial intelligence capabilities have witnessed extraordinary development over the past few years.

Advanced computer networks, huge amounts of data used in training, and improved artificial intelligence techniques have contributed to the production of systems capable of conducting smooth conversations, complex scientific thinking, developing software, and producing highly realistic images, audio and video clips.

The next wave of this development is already beginning to emerge.

Instead of simply responding to commands, “AI agents” are increasingly capable of planning missions, using digital tools, writing software, and completing complex tasks, with little or no human supervision.

Researchers point out that the complexity of the tasks these systems can perform doubles every few months. According to the report.

Benefits: What can AI offer?

The UN report highlights a growing list of tangible successes on the ground:

Pioneering medical achievements: AI has been able to predict the structure of more than 200 million proteins, accelerating drug discovery, vaccine development, and research into antibiotic resistance.

🔹Improving health care: Doctors are using AI for early detection of diseases such as breast cancer, while health workers in developing countries are relying on AI tools in their local languages ​​to improve patient care.

🔹Food security: AI-powered early warning systems help detect food insecurity before they turn into crises.

🔹Improving quality of life: AI supports scientific research, increases the ease of use of technology for people with disabilities, and expands opportunities for personalized education and mental health support.

The team emphasizes that these achievements are not future possibilities, but rather an existing reality.

Risks: What worries experts?

In turn, the technology itself raises new risks:

🔹Online violations: Artificial intelligence contributes to the spread of sexual abuse material and doctored sex videos, with women and children most at risk.

🔹Misleading information: AI can produce false information that appears every bit as convincing as the truth, undermining trust in public debate and democracy.

🔹Crime: Criminals use artificial intelligence to carry out cyberattacks, scams, and social deception.

🔹Mental health: Some AI systems may promote harmful beliefs or behaviors, which may lead to serious psychological crises, including suicide.

🔹Loss of control: As artificial intelligence becomes more autonomous, experts warn that it may become more difficult to monitor and manage it without stronger safeguards.

🔹Environmental impact: Energy-hungry data centers that power AI systems contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, leading to global warming.

Who benefits and who may be left behind?

The AI ​​revolution is not evenly distributed.

Although it is used worldwide, access is still largely concentrated in developed countries.

The report notes that the United States has about three-quarters of the computing power that powers the world’s leading AI supercomputers, while China accounts for about 15%, giving the two countries combined nearly 90% of that computing power.

Most of the advanced models are being developed by companies based in these two countries.

In contrast, many developing countries lack the computing infrastructure, technical expertise, data, investments, and local linguistic resources needed to take full advantage of AI.

As a result, these countries often rely on technologies that they cannot build, examine, vet, or adapt to their societies. The team warns that unless these gaps are addressed, AI may exacerbate existing global inequalities rather than reduce them.

Why does AI need regulation?

According to the UN team, current governance systems were not designed to keep pace with technology that is developing at such a rapid pace.

Governments face what experts call an “evidence dilemma”: policymakers need reliable scientific data before enacting regulations, but by the time that data is sufficient, the technology may already be out of date.

Although more than 40 AI governance frameworks and ethical guidelines exist in different parts of the world, they remain fragmented, inconsistent, and rarely tested to verify their effectiveness on the ground.

Many safety evaluations are also conducted by the companies developing this technology themselves.

The report concludes that there is a need to strengthen independent evaluation, strengthen international cooperation, and establish common standards to ensure that AI systems remain safe, transparent, and accountable.

At the same time, countries need to invest in digital infrastructure, education, technical expertise, and institutions, so that they can manage and deploy AI according to their own terms and vision.

What does the United Nations do?

The United Nations is supporting a new international architecture to help countries make informed decisions about artificial intelligence.

In 2025, the United Nations General Assembly established the Independent International Scientific Group on Artificial Intelligence, which includes 40 experts from all regions of the world working in their personal capacities.

The team’s role is scientific, not organizational. It regularly assesses the latest evidence on the opportunities, risks and impacts of AI, and produces independent reports that governments can draw on when formulating policies.

The outputs of the team’s work will be fed into “UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance“Scheduled to launch in Geneva on July 6, 2026, member states will discuss international approaches to managing this technology.

Conclusion

The scientific team’s position is clear: artificial intelligence is neither good nor evil in itself. Its ultimate impact will depend on the decisions made by governments, companies and societies today.

This technology is already reshaping science, healthcare, education, and economies around the world.

Whether it ultimately reduces or widens inequality, and whether it strengthens or weakens democracy and human rights, will depend largely on how quickly the world builds a governance system that keeps pace with the pace of innovation.