The United Nations’ “Governing AI for Humanity” report published in September underscores existing guidance addressing the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence but also adds a focus on the need for a global governance framework. The report highlights existing gaps in AI governance, corresponding ethical implications, and the importance of equitable AI access across the globe. It also provides actionable insights for industries, particularly life sciences, technology companies, and startups, which are at the forefront of AI innovation. While more advisory than regulatory at this stage, the report provides a larger perspective than existing regulation and standards—and by doing so helps shine light on areas that may be of particular importance as AI’s global impact expands.
The Need for Global AI Governance
The report stresses that AI is a transformative technology that presents both enormous opportunities and significant risks. It can revolutionize industries, improve public health, and address global challenges such as climate change and food security. However, left ungoverned, AI’s benefits may be unevenly distributed, further exacerbating the global digital divide. While numerous other sources suggest some similar actions, the report highlights that development of AI requires a concerted international effort to ensure that its potential is harnessed for the collective good of all humanity.
The report emphasizes that the very nature of AI—its reliance on globally sourced data, materials, and computing power—makes international cooperation essential. The report stresses the need for global governance frameworks that ensure AI serves the global public good, which is particularly important in fields like healthcare and biotechnology. Companies in these sectors are urged to actively engage in multilateral initiatives to shape AI policy, ensuring their innovations contribute to inclusive global development.
Recommendations for Life Sciences and Technology Companies
AI’s role in healthcare, biotechnology, and technology startups is undeniable, but the potential risks must be carefully managed. This leads to several specific recommendations for companies working in these fields:
- Prioritize ethical AI development: Life sciences and tech companies must ensure that AI systems, particularly those in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and diagnostics, are free from bias and provide equitable access to treatments and interventions. AI systems used in diagnostics or drug discovery must be rigorously tested for bias, accuracy, and fairness to avoid exacerbating health inequalities. Moreover, transparency in AI decision-making in clinical settings is critical to maintaining patient trust.
- Invest in capacity-building initiatives: For startups and established companies alike, contributing to capacity-building initiatives is crucial. The report recommends creating global networks for sharing AI knowledge and infrastructure. Life sciences firms and AI startups should contribute to this by offering open-access AI tools, datasets, and training programs for researchers and developers in lower-income countries. This will help to close the AI gap and foster global collaboration.
- Ensure compliance with AI governance framework: The report calls for companies to comply with emerging international AI standards and governance frameworks. In the highly regulated life sciences sector, companies should incorporate AI governance principles into their product development pipelines. For example, ensuring that AI tools used in clinical trials or patient data analysis comply with both local and global data protection regulations will be essential for regulatory approval and market access.
- Collaborate on the development of AI standards: The AI standards exchange proposed in the report will aim to harmonize global standards for AI applications. Tech companies, particularly startups, should engage in these initiatives to help define industry-wide standards. Companies involved in AI-driven medical devices, diagnostics, or pharmaceuticals will benefit from consistent international standards that ensure the safety and efficacy of their products across borders.
Addressing Gaps in AI Governance
One of the major themes of the report is the identification of significant gaps in global AI governance, which include:
- Representation gaps: Many parts of the world, particularly in the Global South, are excluded from key discussions on AI governance. The report reveals that 118 countries are not parties to any of the sampled AI governance initiatives.
- Coordination gaps: Existing AI governance frameworks are fragmented, creating risks of divergent standards and regulatory approaches. This could lead to a "race to the bottom" where safety, security, and ethical considerations are compromised in favor of economic competition.
- Implementation gaps: Even where AI governance frameworks exist, they often lack enforcement mechanisms, leading to inconsistent application of ethical standards, particularly in AI systems that have significant impacts on privacy, human rights, and democratic institutions.
The report advocates for more inclusive and effective frameworks that represent the voices of all nations, especially those historically excluded from AI innovation and governance discussions. Life sciences and technology companies are encouraged to support diverse AI talent and invest in initiatives that promote the inclusion of underrepresented groups in AI research and development.
Recommendations for Enhancing Global Cooperation
The report highlights the gaps in AI representation, particularly in countries outside the traditional tech hubs and proposes several concrete steps to address the governance gaps and foster global collaboration, including:
- Establishing an international scientific panel on AI: Modeled after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this body would serve as a central authority to compile, analyze, and disseminate reliable information about AI’s capabilities, risks, and uncertainties. It aims to ensure that AI governance is built on a solid foundation of scientific consensus.
- Launching a global policy dialogue on AI governance: Twice-yearly forums for intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder dialogue could be used to share best practices and promote a common understanding of AI governance across borders, ensuring that regulations are interoperable and globally consistent.
- Creating an AI standards exchange: This initiative would facilitate the development of international standards for AI technologies. The exchange would involve various stakeholders, including standards-development organizations, tech companies, and civil society, to promote global norms that prioritize safety, transparency, and accountability.
Companies are urged to engage in international partnerships and collaborations, particularly with organizations and governments in the Global South. This can help to ensure that AI innovations address global healthcare challenges equitably.
Promoting Inclusive AI Development
A central theme of the report is the need for equitable access to AI technologies. Without global collaboration, AI could further entrench existing inequalities by concentrating power and wealth among a few countries or corporations. The report highlights several key initiatives to address this issue:
- Capacity development network: This proposed network would connect AI training centers worldwide to ensure that smaller countries and marginalized groups can access AI tools and education. It also aims to bridge the gap in AI talent and computational resources between developed and developing nations.
- Global fund for AI: The report suggests creating a global fund to support AI capacity-building in under-resourced countries. This fund would provide access to compute resources, models, and data, ensuring that all nations have the tools they need to participate in the global AI ecosystem.
Addressing AI Risks and Ethical Challenges
The report acknowledges that AI presents significant ethical and societal risks, ranging from AI bias and privacy concerns to the development of autonomous weapons and the spread of disinformation. It calls for robust governance frameworks that prioritize accountability and transparency. AI’s role in healthcare and life sciences presents unique ethical and operational risks. The report emphasizes several risks and proposes strategies that companies can adopt to mitigate them:
- Addressing AI bias: Bias in AI systems is a significant concern, especially in life sciences, where biased algorithms could lead to unequal access to healthcare or incorrect diagnoses. Companies should implement strong governance measures, including AI audit frameworks, to continuously assess and eliminate biases in AI algorithms used in diagnostics, patient data analysis, or personalized medicine.
- Mitigating privacy and security risks: With increasing reliance on patient data, privacy is a top concern. Life sciences and tech companies must ensure compliance with global data governance frameworks and invest in robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive health information. This includes working with regulators to align AI systems with international privacy standards such as the GDPR.
- Energy consumption and sustainability: The environmental impact of AI, particularly the high energy consumption required for large-scale data processing, is another critical issue highlighted in the report. Life sciences and tech companies should invest in sustainable AI solutions by optimizing data processing methods and using energy-efficient infrastructure.
Long-Term Vision: Building Resilience in AI Governance
The report outlines a forward-looking vision for AI governance that will require companies to stay agile and adaptable to changing regulatory environments. A key proposal is the creation of an AI Office within the UN Secretariat, which will oversee global AI governance initiatives. Life sciences and technology companies should remain actively engaged in these discussions to ensure their needs are represented in future regulatory frameworks.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
The “Governing AI for Humanity” report repeats several themes that have already been addressed in academia and more recently by regulators and industry groups. But its real value is in emphasizing the need for international coordination of these efforts to that AI benefits all of humanity while minimizing risks.
For life sciences and technology companies, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. By adopting ethical AI practices, engaging in global governance initiatives, and promoting equitable access to AI, companies can contribute to a future where AI drives innovation while promoting fairness and inclusivity. While it remains uncertain the ultimate impact that the report will have, it does provide clear guidance for leaders in industry and government to help shape the global AI landscape in ways that leave no one behind.