Canadian Tech Pioneer Nominated to UN’s AI Panel
Canadian artificial intelligence pioneer Yoshua Bengio has been nominated to join a proposed United Nations AI panel, as announced by officials on Wednesday. This panel, consisting of 40 experts, aims to address significant issues surrounding AI on a global scale.
Notable Members of the Panel
Alongside Bengio, the panel includes distinguished figures such as:
- Maria Ressa – A journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate from the Philippines.
- Joelle Barral – Senior director for research and engineering at Google’s DeepMind from France.
- Girmaw Abebe Tadesse – Principal research scientist at Microsoft, focusing on AI applications in sustainability, humanitarian work, and health.
Purpose and Vision of the Panel
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that this panel 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.” This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need for oversight and understanding of AI technologies.
Established by the General Assembly in August 2025, the panel aspires to be to AI what the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is to global warming, focusing on the implications of AI while ensuring that all members serve in their personal capacity, independent of any government, company, or institution.
Expertise and Scope
The expertise within the panel spans a wide range of fields, including:
- Machine Learning
- Data Governance
- Cybersecurity
- Public Health
- Child Development
- Human Rights
Future Expectations
The panel’s first report is anticipated to be published ahead of the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance scheduled for July. This report is expected to lay the groundwork for future discussions and developments in AI governance, highlighting the critical importance of addressing ethical considerations and societal impacts.
