December 19, 2024
Mr. Secretary of State,
Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues,
First of all, I would like to thank the Secretary General for his statement, and also the various speakers today for their presentations and comments on this important subject.
Artificial intelligence is one of the major revolutions of this century. It is already transforming our daily lives, our economies, the functioning of our societies and our institutions. As a result of the opportunities for development that it creates, the use of artificial intelligence represents a major challenge. We need to measure its scope and support this revolution so that it will benefit us all.
Mr. President,
Our priority must be to put into place an inclusive, multi-stakeholder, form of international governance for AI which is responsible and which respects fundamental rights. As initiatives aiming to regulate AI abound, it is important to work together to avoid a fragmentation of normative systems, which would lead to competition between rival and divergent models. We must ensure that the development of AI is accessible to all states and peoples across the globe, and that it does not widen digital divides, these are concerns that were at the heart of the Global Digital Compact adopted by consensus with the Pact for the Future last September.
It is with these goals in mind that France will host, in Paris, on February 10 and 11, a Global AI Summit. One of the primary goals of the Summit will be to help to forge a common bedrock for governance. This summit will bring together governments, international organizations, businesses, the technical community, researchers and civil society stakeholders, with the aim of making progress in defining a common vision for a trustworthy AI, an AI which serves the common good. The Summit will also aim to explore key issues such as the environmental impact of AI and market concentration.
Mr. President,
The development of artificial intelligence has significant implications for international peace and security. We welcome the fact that the Security Council continues to deepen its discussions on this topic, after holding a first meeting on the matter in July 2023.
Certain threats to international peace and security can be amplified by the misuse of artificial intelligence. Generative AI tools are, in particular, used in disinformation or information manipulation campaigns designed to destabilize societies or states. In cyberspace, AI improves the capacity of malicious actors to pinpoint and exploit vulnerabilities in information systems. The Paris Summit, on February 10 and 11 2025, will provide a tangible opportunity to identify concrete solutions in order to address these challenges.
Against that backdrop, France actively supports international efforts to promote responsible use of artificial intelligence for peace and security, in compliance with international law.
To this end, we co-sponsored the resolution on the applications of AI in the military domain, presented to the 1st Committee of the General Assembly by South Korea and the Netherlands. France will also continue to support work undertaken in Geneva to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law in the potential development and use of autonomous lethal weapons systems. The decision to use force must always ultimately be one for which a human is responsible, as the Secretary-General has reminded us.
Mr. President,
As part of this work, the Security Council must also continue to improve how it considers AI, whether we be talking about challenges linked to AI in peace operations, or about how to harness the potential of these technologies, for example in monitoring the implementation of sanctions regimes.
Thank you very much.