2025 International Seminar of the Korean Social Science Study Council
27 May 2025
Keynote Speech
Differentiated colleagues, esteemed participants,
It is a benefit to join you essentially for this crucial celebration of the Oriental Social Scientific Research Research Study Council, and I am honoured to contribute to your timely representations on the future of governance in an era defined by AI change.
Expert system is reshaping not just our markets, yet our societies and public organizations. It is reconfiguring how public choices are made, exactly how solutions are provided, and just how citizens engage with their federal governments. This is a zero hour for democracies. We are experiencing a substantial shift: from responsive bureaucracies to awaiting governance; from top-down frameworks to dynamic, data-informed ecosystems.
AI allows governments to supply services more efficiently via automation, anticipating analytics, and personalised engagement. In areas like medical care, public transportation, and social well-being, public institutions are already utilizing AI-enabled devices to prepare for demands, minimize prices, and enhance results. Right here in Japan, where our UNU headquarters are based, expert system is currently being used to analyse hundreds of federal government jobs, enhancing functional performance and solution delivery. [1]
This is greater than simply a technological shift. It has extensive political and honest effects, increasing immediate inquiries about equity, transparency, and liability. While AI holds remarkable promise, we must not forget the risks. Algorithmic bias can enhance discrimination. Surveillance innovations might endanger constitutional freedoms. And a lack of oversight can bring about the erosion of public depend on. As we digitise the state, we should not digitise oppression.
In reaction, the United Nations has actually increased initiatives to develop a worldwide governance architecture for AI. The High-Level Advisory Body on AI, developed by the Secretary-General, is functioning to resolve the international administration deficiency and advertise principles that centre civils rights, inclusivity, and sustainability. The Global Digital Compact, endorsed through the Pact for the Future, lays the structure for an inclusive electronic order– one that mirrors shared worths and international cooperation.
At the United Nations College, we sustain this transformation with extensive, policy-relevant research. With 13 institutes in 12 nations, UNU is examining just how AI can advance sustainable development while making certain no one is left behind. From electronic incorporation and disaster resilience to honest AI deployment in environmental governance and public wellness, our job looks for to guarantee that AI serves the international excellent.
However, the administration of expert system can not hinge on the shoulders of international organisations alone. Building moral and inclusive AI systems calls for deeper cooperation throughout all fields, uniting academia, governments, the private sector, and civil society. It is only with interdisciplinary partnership, global partnerships, and continual discussion that we can create governance frameworks that are not only effective, however legitimate and future-proof.
Meetings similar to this one play an important function because endeavour, aiding us to construct bridges across borders and foster the trust and participation that moral AI administration needs. In words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “AI is not standing still– neither can we. Let us move for an AI that is formed among mankind, for all of humanity.”
Let us bear in mind: innovation forms power, however administration forms justice. Our task is not simply to regulate AI, however to reimagine governance itself. In doing so, we can build public institutions that are more dexterous, inclusive, and durable. I wish that this conference will certainly foster significant discussion and 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