Many from The Millennium Project attendend the recent virtual consultation on the Summit of the Future organized by the Co-Facilitators of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Process of the Summit and held on December 13, 2023.

Jerome Glenn, executive director and co-founder of The Millennium Project, and Ambassador Héctor Casanueva, Founding Chair of the Chile Node of The Millennium Project and Director of the Chilean Council of Foresight and Strategy, gave separate oral statements to the “Pact for the Future” as input to the planning for the UN Summit of the Future.

Jerome Glenn also submitted a written statement on behalf of The Millennium Project that had to follow the chapeau and 5 chapter headings as paragraphs building on our current AGI work. Soon after this latest consultation, RIBER, The Millennium Project’ Ibero-American Foresight Network, and our Chile Node of The Millennium Project, submitted other written statements. Our statements are reported below.

We hope that some of the sections submitted will survive the selection and editing process. If you would like to submit a written statement (It has to follow the chapeau and 1 chapter format above), then you can submit it to these two email addresses:  sotf@namibiaunmission.org; sotf@newy.diplo.de. It has to be submitted on or before December 31^st.

• Written Statement on behalf of The Millennium Project – Jerome Glenn

Chapeau

The UN AI Agency should be created concurrently with Member States’ AI governance agencies with two sub-sections: one for artificial narrow intelligence and one for artificial general intelligence – AGI.

Chapter I. Sustainable development and financing for development

Since the sustainable development and financing for development will be greatly affected by the continually improving artificial general Intelligence – AGI, all UN sustainable development and financing for development activities should take into account AGI impacts.

Chapter II. International peace and security

US-China Joint UN General Assembly Resolution to create a UN Convention on AI with two sub-sections: one for artificial narrow intelligence and one for artificial general intelligence – AGI

Chapter III. Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation

A UN Convention on AI with two sub-units: one for artificial narrow intelligence and one for artificial general intelligence – AGI should develop its governing elements in harmony with Member States AI governing elements.

Chapter IV. Youth and future generations

Since the majority of the lives of youth and future generations will be spent with artificial general Intelligence – AGI, all UN activities for youth and future generations could take into account AGI impacts on their lives.

Chapter V. Transforming global governance

The UN AI Agency to govern AI should be a multi-stakeholder body with two sections: one for artificial narrow intelligence and one for artificial general intelligence that certifies Member States’ AI licensing procedures, and provides global governance in harmony with national governance systems.

• Jerome Glenn’s oral statement

The UN Summit of the Future should explore alternative long-range futures of civilization: One possible future is the Conscious-Technology Civilization with the Self-Actualization Economy. Humanity and technology are becoming a continuum of Consciousness and Technology. Synergies between mystics and technocrats could make such a Conscious-Technology Civilization a good future.

As AI takes the cost labor out of production, the cost of living will eventually be lowered. As tax income increases from Next Tech (NT) such as AI, nanotech, robotics, synthetic biology, etc., the financial sustainability of an eventual universal guaranteed income will be possible, freeing people to follow their passions.

However, we will need the US and China to lead the creation of UN Agencies for AI, Climate Change, and Synthetic Biology to make this future possible and avoid increasingly dangerous conflicts. Our immediate need is a UN Convention on AI with two sections: one for artificial narrow intelligence we have today and the other for artificial general intelligence or AGI we could have within a few years. If we don’t have national and UN rules for the development and usage of AGI, then an artificial super intelligence beyond our control could emerge from Un-regulated AGI. 

• Héctor Casanueva’s oral statement

Thank Mr. Chair.

First of all, I fully agree with the opinion about the Summit gave in the first part of this session by Javier Surasky and María Rodrigues.

Secondly, we believe that the main result of the Summit of the Future should be to provide the United Nations Secretariat with sufficient political support to follow up on the Summit agreements and the Pact for the Future. And to provide it with sufficient operational capacity to fulfill its task.

A United Nations Office of Foresight and Strategic and Existential Threats, at the level of the Secretary General is necessary. On the other hand, regarding one of the central topics to be addressed, the Artificial Intelligence, I want to point out our concern that in the regulations that are being prepared in different parts, for example in the EU, applications for weapons and military deployments are left out of the possibility of regulation. Which is one of the most dangerous areas.

Thank you, Ambassador.

Written Statement on behalf of RIBER – download .pdf

Written Statement on behalf of the Chile Node – download .pdf