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A few years ago, it could answer questions or generate text. Today, technology can write computer code, analyze large amounts of data, create realistic images and videos, help scientists discover new medicines, and increasingly act on its own with little human supervision.
However, even as AI capabilities accelerate, experts say regulations are needed to ensure AI is used safely as existing safeguards struggle to keep up.
That’s the conclusion preliminary report by the UN Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence launched on Wednesday.
The report warns that the opportunity to create effective global governance is still open, but it may not last long.
AI is contributing to major medical breakthroughs.
Why it matters
AI could be one of humanity’s most transformative technologies.
If used responsibly, it can accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goals by improving health services, education, scientific research, agriculture and accessibility for people with disabilities.
But without safeguards, the same technology could deepen inequality, spread misinformation, threaten human rights, disrupt labor markets, and put powerful AI systems in the hands of only a few governments and companies.
The challenge, according to the report, is finding ways to harness the enormous benefits of AI while preventing its growing risks.
Incredible pace of development
AI capabilities have developed at an incredible pace over the past few years.
Powerful new computing networks, vast amounts of training data, and improved AI techniques have resulted in systems capable of fluid conversations, advanced scientific reasoning, software development, and creating highly realistic images, audio, and video.
The next wave is already starting to emerge.
Instead of simply responding to commands, AI “agents” can increasingly plan tasks, use digital tools, write software, and complete complex tasks with little or no human supervision.
Researchers say the complexity of tasks these systems can complete doubles every few months, according to the report.
AI-powered robotics are increasingly being used in agriculture.
The benefits: What can AI do?
The UN report highlights a growing number of real-world successes.
- Medical breakthrough: AI has predicted the structure of more than 200 million proteins, accelerating drug discovery, vaccine development, and antibiotic resistance research.
- Better healthcare: Doctors are using AI to detect diseases like breast cancer early, while health workers in developing countries are using AI tools in local languages to improve patient care.
- Food security: AI-powered early warning systems help identify food insecurity before it becomes a crisis.
- Improve life: AI supports scientific research, makes technology more accessible to people with disabilities, and expands opportunities for personalized education and mental health support
The panel emphasized that this is not a future possibility: It is already happening.
A data center in the US state of Wisconsin.
The risks: What worries experts?
The same technology also creates new dangers.
- Online harassment: AI fuels the spread of sexually abusive material and fake, sexually explicit videos, with women and children most at risk.
- Disinformation: AI can produce false information that is as convincing as the truth, thereby undermining trust in public debate and democracy.
- Crime: Criminals use AI to carry out cyberattacks, fraud, and social engineering scams.
- Mental health: Some AI systems can reinforce harmful beliefs or behaviors, which can lead to mental health crises, including suicide.
- Losing control: As AI becomes more autonomous, experts warn that monitoring and managing it will become more difficult without stronger protections.
- Environmental impact: Energy-hungry, AI-enabled data centers contribute to greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
Who benefits and who is left behind?
The AI revolution is far from equal.
Although used worldwide, access is still concentrated in developed countries.
The report notes that the United States has about three-quarters of the computing power of the world’s leading AI supercomputer, while China controls about 15 percent, so the two countries have about 90 percent of the combined computing power.
Most of the advanced AI models are also being developed by companies based in both countries.
Many developing countries lack the computing infrastructure, technical expertise, data, investment, and local language resources needed to gain the full benefits of AI.
As a result, they often rely on technology that they cannot build, vet, audit, or adapt to their own communities.
The panel warned that if these gaps are not addressed, AI will amplify existing global inequalities, not reduce them.
A blind student in Uganda uses assistive devices to read and take notes.
Why does AI need regulation?
According to the UN panel, current government systems are not designed for technology that is developing this fast.
The government faces what experts describe as an “evidence dilemma”: Policymakers need reliable scientific data before issuing regulations, but once it is available, the technology may be advanced.
Although more than 40 AI governance frameworks and ethical guidelines already exist in various parts of the world, they are fragmented, inconsistent, and rarely tested to see whether they actually work.
Many safety assessments are also carried out by the companies developing the technology themselves.
The report finds that stronger independent evaluation, international cooperation, and common standards are needed to ensure AI systems remain safe, transparent, and accountable.
At the same time, countries need investment in digital infrastructure, education, technical expertise, and institutions so they can regulate and deploy AI on their own terms.
What is the UN doing?
The United Nations supports a new international architecture to help countries make informed decisions about AI.
In 2025, the UN General Assembly established the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, consisting of 40 experts from every region of the world who serve in their personal capacity.
The role of this panel is more scientific than regulatory. The agency assesses, regularly, the latest evidence on the opportunities, risks and impacts of AI, and produces independent reports that governments can use when developing policy.
Panel work will be included UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance starting in Geneva on 6 July 2026, where Member States will discuss international approaches to managing technology.
The main thing is
The scientific panel was clear: AI is neither inherently good nor bad.
The impact will depend on the choices governments, companies and society make today.
This technology has transformed science, healthcare, education, and economies around the world.
Whether this will ultimately narrow or widen inequality, and whether it will strengthen or weaken democracy and human rights will depend largely on how quickly the world can build governments that can keep pace with innovation.
