2025 International Conference of the Oriental Social Science Study Council
27 May 2025
Keynote Speech
Differentiated coworkers, renowned participants,
It is a benefit to join you practically for this vital event of the Oriental Social Science Research Study Council, and I am honoured to add to your timely reflections on the future of governance in a period defined by AI change.
Expert system is improving not only our markets, however our cultures and public organizations. It is reconfiguring just how public decisions are made, just how services are supplied, and exactly how people involve with their governments. This is a turning point for freedoms. We are observing a substantial change: from responsive administrations to anticipatory governance; from top-down structures to vibrant, data-informed communities.
AI makes it possible for governments to supply services much more efficiently via automation, predictive analytics, and customised involvement. In areas like medical care, public transport, and social welfare, public organizations are currently taking advantage of AI-enabled devices to prepare for requirements, reduce prices, and improve end results. Below in Japan, where our UNU headquarters are based, artificial intelligence is currently being made use of to analyse countless government tasks, boosting operational performance and service delivery. [1]
This is greater than simply a technical shift. It has profound political and honest ramifications, elevating immediate concerns concerning equity, transparency, and accountability. While AI holds tremendous guarantee, we need to not forget the dangers. Algorithmic predisposition can reinforce discrimination. Surveillance innovations may threaten constitutional freedoms. And an absence of oversight can lead to the erosion of public depend on. As we digitise the state, we must not digitise injustice.
In action, the United Nations has accelerated initiatives to construct a worldwide governance style for AI. The High-Level Advisory Body on AI, established by the Secretary-General, is functioning to resolve the worldwide administration deficit and advertise concepts that centre human rights, inclusivity, and sustainability. The Global Digital Compact, endorsed via the Pact for the Future, lays the foundation for a comprehensive digital order– one that reflects shared worths and international participation.
At the United Nations University, we sustain this transformation with strenuous, policy-relevant study. With 13 institutes in 12 nations, UNU is examining how AI can progress sustainable development while guaranteeing nobody is left. From electronic incorporation and catastrophe strength to honest AI release in environmental administration and public wellness, our job looks for to guarantee that AI serves the international excellent.
However, the governance of artificial intelligence can not hinge on the shoulders of global organisations alone. Structure honest and inclusive AI systems calls for deeper participation throughout all industries, combining academic community, federal governments, the economic sector, and civil society. It is just via interdisciplinary collaboration, global collaborations, and continual dialogue that we can create administration structures that are not just efficient, however reputable and future-proof.
Meetings like this one play an essential function in that effort, assisting us to build bridges across boundaries and promote the trust and collaboration that ethical AI governance needs. In the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “AI is not stalling– neither can we. Let us propose an AI that is shaped among mankind, for all of humankind.”
Let us keep in mind: modern technology shapes power, however administration forms justice. Our job is not merely to control AI, however to reimagine administration itself. In doing so, we can build public organizations that are much more agile, comprehensive, and durable. I really hope that this conference will certainly foster significant discussion and brand-new partnerships in that endeavour.
Thank you.
[1] https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Artificial-intelligence/Japan-turns-to-AI-for-help-in-analyzing- 5 – 000 -government-projects