UAE expert named on UN panel shaping global AI governance

The United Nations Secretary-General has included a UAE national among a group of international experts selected to help guide the global response to artificial intelligence.

António Guterres announced he has submitted to the United Nations General Assembly a list of 40 specialists from around the world, including Tuka Alhanai, as part of preparations to establish an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.

Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, Guterres said the move marked a decisive step towards ensuring AI “serves all of humanity”. The panel is being created in response to a mandate from UN member states under the Pact for the Future, which calls for stronger multilateral approaches to emerging technologies.

He described the body as the world’s first fully independent global scientific panel dedicated to assessing the real-world impact of artificial intelligence on economies and societies. With AI advancing at unprecedented speed, he said, no single country could grasp its full implications alone.

“AI is moving at the speed of light,” Guterres said, stressing the need for shared understanding to establish safeguards, encourage innovation for the common good and strengthen international cooperation.

The proposed panel will aim to separate reliable science from misinformation and provide an impartial reference point for governments at a time when AI is increasingly shaping daily life. Its members were chosen through an open global call that attracted more than 2,600 nominations, spanning disciplines such as machine learning, data governance, cybersecurity, public health and human rights.

All experts, including Alhanai, will serve in a personal capacity and independently of governments or institutions. The panel is expected to work on an accelerated timeline, with its first report due to feed into a global UN-led discussion on AI governance scheduled for July.