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UN General Assembly to Address AI's Potential Risks, Rewards

The UN General Assembly chamber is seen in February 2023. Yuki IWAMURA / AFP/File
The UN General Assembly chamber is seen in February 2023. Yuki IWAMURA / AFP/File
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UN General Assembly to Address AI's Potential Risks, Rewards

The UN General Assembly chamber is seen in February 2023. Yuki IWAMURA / AFP/File
The UN General Assembly chamber is seen in February 2023. Yuki IWAMURA / AFP/File

The UN General Assembly will turn its attention to artificial intelligence on Thursday, weighing a resolution that lays out the potentially transformational technology's pros and cons while calling for the establishment of international standards.
The text, co-sponsored by dozens of countries, emphasizes the necessity of guidelines "to promote safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems," while excluding military AI from its purview, AFP said.
On the whole, the resolution focuses more on the technology's positive potential, and calls for special care "to bridge the artificial intelligence and other digital divides between and within countries."
The draft resolution, which is the first on the issue, was brought forth by the United States and will be submitted for approval by the assembly on Thursday.
It also seeks "to promote, not hinder, digital transformation and equitable access" to AI in order to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to ensure a better future for humanity by 2030.
"As AI technologies rapidly develop, there is urgent need and unique opportunities for member states to meet this critical moment with collective action," US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, reading a joint statement by the dozens of co-sponsor countries.
According to Richard Gowan, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, "the emphasis on development is a deliberate effort by the US to win goodwill among poorer nations."
"It is easier to talk about how AI can help developing countries progress rather than tackle security and safety topics head-on as a first initiative," he said.
'Male-dominated algorithms'
The draft text does highlight the technology's threats when misused with the intent to cause harm, and also recognizes that without guarantees, AI risks eroding human rights, reinforcing prejudices and endangering personal data protection.
It therefore asks member states and stakeholders "to refrain from or cease the use of artificial intelligence systems that are impossible to operate in compliance with international human rights law or that pose undue risks to the enjoyment of human rights."
Warnings against the technology have become increasingly prevalent, particularly when it comes to generative AI tools and the risks they pose for democracy and society, particularly via fake images and speech shared in a bid to interfere in elections.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has made AI regulation a priority, calling for the creation of a UN entity modeled on other UN organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
He has regularly highlighted the potential for disinformation and last week warned of bias in technologies designed mainly by men, which can result in algorithms that ignore the rights and needs of women.
"Male-dominated algorithms could literally program inequalities into activities from urban planning to credit ratings to medical imaging for years to come," he said.
Gowan of the International Crisis Group said he didn't "think the US wants Guterres leading this conversation, because it is so sensitive" and was therefore "stepping in to shape the debate."
A race is underway between various UN member states, the United States, China and South Korea, to be at the forefront of the issue.
In October, the White House unveiled rules intended to ensure that the United States leads the way in AI regulation, with President Joe Biden insisting on the need to govern the technology.

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New Brazil Law Restricts Use of Smartphones in Elementary and High Schools

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks at a ceremony for the signing of a bill that restricts the use of cellphones in schools nationwide, at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks at a ceremony for the signing of a bill that restricts the use of cellphones in schools nationwide, at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
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New Brazil Law Restricts Use of Smartphones in Elementary and High Schools

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks at a ceremony for the signing of a bill that restricts the use of cellphones in schools nationwide, at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks at a ceremony for the signing of a bill that restricts the use of cellphones in schools nationwide, at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday signed a bill restricting the use of smartphones at school, following a global trend for such limitations.

The move will impact students at elementary and high schools across the South American nation starting in February. It provides a legal framework to ensure students only use such devices in cases of emergency and danger, for educational purposes, or if they have disabilities and require them.

"We cannot allow humanism to be replaced by algorithms," Lula said in a closed ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital, Brasilia, adding that the bill "acknowledges the work of every serious person in education, everyone who wants to take care of children and teenagers in this country."

In May, Fundacao Getulio Vargas, a leading think-tank and university, said Brazil had more smartphones than people, with 258 million devices for a population of 203 million Brazilians. Local market researchers said last year that Brazilians spend 9 hours and 13 minutes per day on screens, one of the world's highest figures.

Education minister Camilo Santana told journalists that children are going online at early ages, making it harder for parents to keep track of what they do, and that restricting smartphones at school will help them.

The bill had rare support across the political spectrum, both from allies of leftist Lula and his far-right foe, former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Many parents and students also approved the move. A survey released in October by Brazilian pollster Datafolha said that almost two-thirds of respondents supported banning the use of smartphones by children and teenagers at schools. More than three-quarters said those devices do more harm than good to their children.

"(Restricting cellphones) is tough, but necessary. It is useful for them to do searches for school, but to use it socially isn't good," said Ricardo Martins Ramos, 43, father of two girls and the owner of a hamburger restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. "Kids will interact more."

His 13-year-old daughter Isabela said her classmates struggled to focus during class because of their smartphones. She approved the move, but doesn't see it as enough to improve the learning environment for everyone.

"When the teacher lets you use the cellphone, it is because he wants you to do searches," she said. "There's still a lot of things that schools can't solve, such as bullying and harassment."

As of 2023, about two-thirds of Brazilian schools imposed some restriction on cellphone use, while 28% banned them entirely, according to a survey released in August by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee.

The Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Maranhao and Goias have already passed local bills to ban such devices at schools. However, authorities have struggled to enforce these laws.

Authorities in Sao Paulo, the most populous state in Brazil, are discussing whether smartphones should be banned both in public and private schools.

Gabriele Alexandra Henriques Pinheiro, 25, works at a beauty parlor and is the mother of a boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. She also agrees with the restrictions, but says adults will continue to be a bad example of smartphone use for children.

"It is tough," she said. "I try to restrict the time my son watches any screens, but whenever I have a task to perform I have to use the smartphone to be able to do it all," she said.

Institutions, governments, parents and others have for years associated smartphone use by children with bullying, suicidal ideation, anxiety and loss of concentration necessary for learning. China moved last year to limit children’s use of smartphones, while France has in place a ban on smartphones in schools for kids aged six to 15.

Cellphone bans have gained traction across the United States, where eight states have passed laws or policies that ban or restrict cellphone use to try to curb student phone access and minimize distractions in classrooms.

An increasing number of parents across Europe who are concerned by evidence that smartphone use among young kids jeopardizes their safety and mental health.

A report published in September by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said one in four countries has already restricted the use of such devices at schools.

Last year in a US Senate hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to parents of children exploited, bullied or driven to self-harm via social media. He also noted Meta’s continued investments in "industrywide" efforts to protect children.