The joint meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
Second Committee and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will have a
special focus on “The Future of Everything—Sustainable Development in the Age
of Rapid Technological Change” reports NaijaAgroNet.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also called artificial
intelligence “a new frontier” with “advances moving at warp speed.
He pointed out that nowadays, driverless cars, advanced
medical diagnosis, 3D printing, artificial intelligence is playing an increasing
role in the economy today, and it can fundamentally reshape global and local
economies in the years to come. The impacts on communities and societies could
be profound.
To place the issue of artificial intelligence on the
international agenda, experts from Governments, academia, business and civil
society, will gather at UN Headquarters in New York on 11 October, to identify
options to harness the potential of rapid technological change and innovation
towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The life-like robot “Sophia,” he noted has made many public
appearances, and will also participate in the event.
“Artificial Intelligence has the potential to accelerate
progress towards a dignified life, in peace and prosperity, for all people,”
said Mr. Guterres. “The time has arrived for all of us – governments, industry
and civil society – to consider how artificial intelligence will affect our
future.”
The UN discussion is intended to identify options on how the
potential of technological change can be harnessed to achieve sustainable
development. The experts, covering a range of areas, will discuss the key trends
in technology and innovation in recent years, and how they have had
differential impacts on people and prosperity.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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