Artificial intelligence: the UN at Paris summit

According to the announcement, UN chief António Guterres will attend the Paris AI Action Summit, held over two days, 10 and 11 February 2025. The summit is co-chaired by France's president, Emmanuel Macron, and India's prime minister, Narendra Modi. Melissa Fleming, who leads global communications at the UN as Under-Secretary-General, will also join the discussions, as will further experts and high-ranking UN personnel.

The page describes the gathering as drawing close to 100 countries, plus international organisation chiefs, researchers and civil society representatives, with the aim of laying foundations for global AI governance. It adds that the summit belongs to a wider push to strengthen national sovereignty over technology while making sure developing countries share in the benefits of the digital revolution.

On substance, the announcement says Guterres wants worldwide governance covering how AI is designed, run and used. He considers AI an existential concern for humanity and believes it must stay a tool serving people, not a driver of inequality and unbridled risk. Five themes structure the summit: AI serving the public interest, its effect on the future of work, innovation respectful of cultural diversity, the ethics and dependability of AI technologies, and international standards for effective regulation.

Regarding outcomes, a non-binding statement could be adopted that sets groundwork for responsible AI consistent with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Discussions should help produce AI that is inclusive, beneficial and sustainable, with particular care over misuse and the protection of individual rights. The announcement presents the event as a turning point for global cooperation on AI, putting ethics and solidarity at the centre of international priorities.