Science-Based Policy, Not Guesswork, Key to Ensure Artificial Intelligence Serves Humanity, Secretary-General Tells AI Impact Summit Event, Outlining UN’s Role

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres' remarks at the side event "Role of Science in International AI Governance" at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Summit, in New Delhi today:

Thank you for joining this discussion on the role of science in international AI governance. We are barrelling into the unknown. AI innovation is moving at the speed of light - outpacing our collective ability to fully understand it, let alone govern it. AI does not stop at borders, and no nation can fully grasp its implications on its own.

If we want AI to serve humanity, policy cannot be built on guesswork. It cannot be built on hype or disinformation. We need facts we can trust - and share - across countries and across sectors - less noise, more knowledge.

That is why the United Nations is building a practical architecture that puts science at the centre of international cooperation on AI. And it starts with the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.

This Panel is designed to help close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of AI across economies and societies - so countries at every level of AI capacity can act with the same clarity. It is fully independent. It is globally diverse. And it is multidisciplinary - because AI touches every area of every society. I am delighted that the General Assembly of the United Nations confirmed the 40 experts I proposed to Member States.

Now the real work begins - on a fast track to deliver a first report ahead of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July. The Panel will provide a shared baseline of analysis - helping Member States move from philosophical debates to technical coordination - and anchor choices in evidence so policy is neither a blunt instrument that stifles progress nor a bystander to harm.

That is how science strengthens decision-making. When we understand what systems can do - and what they cannot - we can move from rough measures to smarter, risk-based guardrails. Guardrails that protect people, uphold human rights and preserve human agency. Guardrails that build confidence and give businesses clarity - so innovation can move faster in the right direction.

Science-led governance is not a brake on progress. It is an accelerator for solutions. A way to make progress safer, fairer, and more widely shared; it helps us identify where AI can do the most good the fastest, and it helps us anticipate impacts early - from risks for children, to labour markets, to manipulation at scale so countries can prepare, protect, and invest in people.

Today, international cooperation is difficult. Trust is strained, and technological rivalry is growing. Without a common baseline, fragmentation wins - with different regions and different countries operating under incompatible policies and technical standards. A patchwork of rules will raise costs, weaken safety, and widen divides.

Science is a universal language. Guided by the Independent Panel and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, we can align our technical baselines. When we agree on how to test systems and measure risk, we create interoperability.

So a startup in New Delhi can scale globally with confidence - because the benchmarks are shared; and safety can travel with the technology.

Finally, let us be clear: Science informs, but humans decide. Our goal is to make human control a technical reality, not a slogan. And that requires meaningful human oversight in every high-stakes decision - in justice, healthcare, credit. And it requires clear accountability - so responsibility is never outsourced to an algorithm. People must understand how decisions are made, challenge them - and get answers.

The message is simple: Less hype, less fear, more facts and evidence. Guided by science, we can transform AI from a source of uncertainty into a reliable engine for the Sustainable Development Goals. Let us build a future where policy is as smart as the technology it seeks to guide.