Whether you are a “doomer” or a “baby boomer” on the subject, it is impossible to ignore AI, which is infiltrating every corner of our personal and professional lives.
The UN advocates a “people-centered” approach to the subject. for years NOW.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned THE Security Council it is in 2024 that the fate of humanityshould never be left to the “black box” of an algorithm“, and that people must always maintain oversight and control over AI decision-making to ensure human rights are respected.
Since then, the United Nations system has consolidated its work on global ethical governance of AI, building on the guidelines and recommendations contained in the landmark document Global digital compact.
Here is a selection of key ideas.
1. Education is key
The UN constantly emphasizes education as a central element to ensure people remain relevant in an AI-driven future. It’s not just about integrating AI tools into the education system, but ensuring that students and teachers are proficient in AI.
“The global education system will need 44 million teachers by 2030,” says Shafika Isaacs, head of technology and AI in education at UNESCO (the United Nations agency for education, science and culture). “We think it is a mistake to claim that we need to invest more in AI technologies rather than teachers. AI can handle data transfer, but it cannot handle human development,” Education is fundamentally a social, human and cultural experience and not a technical download.»
2. Embrace change
Many people around the world fear losing their jobs in the age of AI. The World Economic Forum NGO estimated in 2025 that around 41 percent of employers planned to reduce their workforce due to AI.
At the same time, new roles that combine human strengths with machine capabilities are likely to emerge, because while machines are excellent at recognizing patterns and repetitive tasks, creativity, judgment, ethical reasoning, and complex interpersonal interactions require a human touch.
In collaboration with global research partners, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has predicted that even if one job in four is likely to be transformed by AI does not necessarily mean net work losses.
However, the way work is done is likely to change significantly, requiring workers to be highly adaptable and open to the idea of constantly learning new skills and training throughout their working lives.
Artificial intelligence is currently revolutionizing the smartphone industry.
3. Make AI accessible to everyone
A handful of tech giants are driving AI research and dominating the creation of new tools. The UN fears that unless access to technology is expanded, inequalities between countries and within societies will widen.
The strategies developed by the UN emphasize that educational, economic and governance policies must ensure that the benefits of AI are widely sharednot limited to the privileged or advanced technologies.
4. Prioritize human rights
The UN has repeatedly stressed that AI development must respect human rights, dignity and inclusion, and warned that uncontrolled automation would have far-reaching social consequences.
In 2021, after extensive consultations with global experts, UNESCO published Recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence, which argues that human rights cannot be optional: they must form the binding basis of sustainable AI systems.
The document argues that tools that threaten dignity, equality or freedom should be restricted or banned, and that governments must actively regulate and enforce these standards.
5. The whole world must agree on the path forward
This is not a problem that any government, private sector or civil society can solve alone, and the UN is calling for much greater international cooperation to manage the risks and opportunities of AI.
This could take the form of dialogues on governance and ethics, UN-supported coordination platforms, and partnerships between the public and private sectors to finance education and workforce development.