A new international group, the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity Building, was launched at the United Nations on Tuesday, co-chaired by China and Zambia, with representatives from more than 80 countries, including Egypt, Pakistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Russia, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. The group’s inaugural meeting aimed to foster global cooperation in building artificial intelligence (AI) capacity, with a focus on promoting fairness, inclusivity, and multilateralism.
During the meeting, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, emphasized the importance of harnessing AI for good, ensuring that it serves to address global challenges and enhance people’s well-being. He stressed that AI development should be underpinned by robust security measures and human control, to mitigate potential social and ethical risks. Fu also highlighted the need for all countries to have equal opportunities to develop and benefit from AI, advocating for an open, non-discriminatory environment.
The Group of Friends aims to bridge the AI divide, supporting international cooperation and sustainable development. Fu expressed the hope that the group could play a key role in leveraging the potential of digital technologies to promote global prosperity, emphasizing that AI should not be a privilege for a select few, but a tool for the collective benefit of humanity.
Emmanuel Pamu, Zambia’s permanent secretary for budget and economic affairs, also stressed the importance of the UN’s role in AI governance and urged all parties to strengthen international cooperation in this area.
The creation of this group is rooted in the Global AI Governance Initiative introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Last year, China led the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution on AI capacity-building, which called for enhanced international collaboration and aimed to create an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment. The resolution was co-sponsored by 143 countries, including the US.
The initiative has already led to actions such as the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All, introduced by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.