Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 18th May. UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed that the digital revolution offers “tremendous opportunities” to fast track sustainable development, but Least Developed Countries need much more help getting online if they’re to benefit too.
Guterres delivered his message ahead of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day observed on Thursday.
Mr. Guterres emphasized on the need to confront technology’s perils, including the amplification of economic inequalities, the proliferation of hate speech and disinformation, as well as the lack of governance and unchecked development of artificial intelligence, or A.I.
He said in his video address that the digital revolution was a “defining force of our era.”
“The opportunities are tremendous: from transforming education and healthcare, to accelerating climate action and the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals.”
He stressed that technology must be an instrument that can reduce divides – not deepen them.
SG noted that the internet becomes ever more central to value creation and innovation, “we must dramatically improve accessibility and inclusivity and eliminate the digital divide.”
“This starts with supporting digital public goods such as open-source software, data accessible to all, and open content,” he said
“We must invest in the capacities of public institutions so that they have the skills and resources to understand, oversee, shape, and engage with Artificial Intelligence and other transformative technologies”, he added.
He called for countries to come together around a Global Digital Compact, and avoid fragmentation, safeguard human rights, and ensure technology is a force for good.
SG reommended the UN specialised agency, the International Telecommunication Union for working to accelerate global connectivity for all, by the 2030 sustainable development goal deadline.
UN Technology Envoy Amandeep Gill told why it was so urgent and important, to get governance right when it comes to AI.
“If we can demonstrate to the rest of the world that we can get our act together around A.I., not just shutting things down, stopping progress, but governing it in a way that no one is left behind”, against the backdrop of other global challenges, “then that is a larger message on the success of multilateralism.”
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