The United Nations General Assembly has approved the creation of a 40-member Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.
This will be the first global scientific body established to study the risks and impacts of AI.
The resolution was adopted on 13 February 2026 by a vote of 117 in favour and two against. The United States and Paraguay voted no, while Tunisia and Ukraine abstained.
According to the UN, the panel will examine the risks, opportunities, and long-term effects of artificial intelligence. It will publish an annual report that provides scientific analysis for all member states. The experts were selected from more than 2,600 candidates following a review process involving several UN bodies and the International Telecommunication Union. Members will serve three-year terms.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the decision as a necessary step amid rapid technological change. “In a world where AI is racing ahead, this panel will provide what’s been missing: rigorous, independent scientific insight that enables all member states, regardless of their technological capacity, to engage on an equal footing,” he said.
Notably, former employees of major AI companies have raised concerns about safety practices and the pace of development. Some leading figures in the field, including Dario Amodei and Sam Altman, have previously warned about the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems.
The United States opposed the resolution. Lauren Lovelace, the US representative, said the proposal represented “a significant overreach of the UN’s mandate and competence.” She added that “AI governance is not a matter for the UN to dictate.”
Lovelace urged the organisation to focus on its core responsibilities, including international peace and security, human rights and humanitarian assistance. She also warned against “attempting to regulate or stifle the development of cross-cutting technologies that will determine economic and strategic competition in the twenty-first century.”
President Donald Trump has supported limited federal regulation of artificial intelligence, arguing that excessive oversight could slow innovation. The United States and China are widely viewed as leading competitors in AI development.
Despite voting against the measure, the United States will have two representatives on the panel: Vipin Kumar of the University of Minnesota and Martha Palmer of the University of Colorado.
The new panel is expected to begin its work later this year and deliver its first annual assessment in 2027
