Washington, D.C. — Alondra Nelson, distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, has been named as a U.S. member of the newly created U.N. High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.
The new advisory body is a major step in the United Nations’ efforts to address issues in the international governance of artificial intelligence (AI). It will foster a globally inclusive approach that brings together experts from government, the private sector, the research community, civil society, and academia.
“Dr. Nelson is exactly the right person to represent American interests in an international conversation about AI governance,” said CAP President and CEO Patrick Gaspard. “She believes in the great potential of AI and understands the promise and perils of this technology for our lives, economies, and democratic institutions. I look forward to seeing the recommendations from her and the other experts on this advisory body on how AI can benefit humanity.”
The immediate tasks of the advisory body include building a global scientific consensus on the risks and challenges of AI, helping harness AI for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and strengthening international cooperation on AI governance. It will issue preliminary recommendations by the end of this year and final recommendations by summer 2024. The first meeting will take place on October 27.
Nelson holds the Harold F. Linder Chair in the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study. From 2021 to 2023, she was deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director and principal deputy director for science and society of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. During that time, she led the creation of the “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights,” which considers how AI should be incorporated into society. She will serve on the advisory body in her personal capacity.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].