UN Secretary-General António Guterres submitted for the consideration of the General Assembly a list of “40 distinguished individuals from every region” to serve on the new Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.
Addressing the press, on the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “The Panel is a direct response to the mandate given by Member States in the Pact for the Future to strengthen multilateral solutions for emerging technologies that are reshaping every aspect of our lives.”
He highlighted, “It will be the first global, fully independent scientific body dedicated to helping close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of AI across economies and societies. And this could not be more urgent. AI is moving at the speed of light. No country can see the full picture alone””
He then recognized the office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, the International Telecommunication Union, and UNESCO “for their vital support of this initiative. The three organizations will provide the members to the Secretariat of the panel, and the Secretariat of the panel will be coordinated by my Special Envoy, Amandeep Gill.”
Answering a question, he said, “One of the most important things is exactly to have a scientific entity that is independent, that is reliable, that doesn’t serve the interest of any country, able to say exactly what is the state of the art of the applications of AI. And obviously one of the major concerns we have is about the weaponization of AI, and I hope that this panel will be a very important instrument to clarify what exactly is happening.”
- On February 4, 2026, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Amandeep Gill informed journalists they would submit 40 prospective members to the General Assembly.
- The selection process used a criteria-based open call that drew approximately 2,700 applicants, emphasizing outstanding AI expertise, interdisciplinary perspective, and balance.
- The slate spans experts from 37 countries and includes 19 women and 21 men, featuring Sonia Livingstone, Balaraman Ravindran, Maria Ressa, Yoshua Bengio, and Joelle Barral.
- The General Assembly will decide membership on 12 February, and the Panel must deliver its first report by July, including an annual report and thematic briefs.
- Guterres told, `It will be the first global, fully independent scientific body dedicated to helping close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of AI across economies and societies`; the panel will serve as an early-warning evidence engine, though consensus challenges remain.
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