{"id":445,"date":"2024-10-01T15:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T15:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simoninstitute.ch\/?p=445"},"modified":"2025-07-18T06:09:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T06:09:35","slug":"sis-post-summit-of-the-future-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simoninstitute.ch\/blog\/post\/sis-post-summit-of-the-future-plans","title":{"rendered":"SI\u2019s Post Summit of the Future Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Taking Stock<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, the UN Secretary General published Our Common Agenda (OCA)<\/a>, a report outlining plans to revitalize the multilateral system and spotlight neglected issues that had grown in importance since the adoption of the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals, including pandemics, climate change, and artificial intelligence (AI). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, much of SI\u2019s work focused on ensuring that new multilateral agendas, narratives, and commitments emphasized future generations, acknowledged catastrophic and existential risks, and addressed forward-looking topics often overlooked in multilateral forums, particularly the advent and impacts of transformative AI (TAI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To this end, we published the first-ever UN report on Existential Risk and Rapid Technological Change<\/a>; delivered a report<\/a> on hazards with escalation potential with the UNDRR; published a framework on future-proofing policies<\/a>; held workshops on foresight<\/a> and the future of the multilateral system<\/a>; offered policy input to the Global Digital Compact<\/a> (GDC) & Declaration of Future Generations<\/a>; provided private advising to national representatives on AI governance; and hosted<\/a> capacity building<\/a> sessions<\/a> for diplomats on AI governance ahead of the negotiations of the GDC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two weeks ago, on September 23rd, 2024, the UN crossed a significant milestone \u2013 with the Summit of the Future<\/a> taking place, and the Pact of the Future<\/a> and its two annexes (the Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations) receiving endorsement<\/a>. Perhaps most notably for AI Governance, commitments were made to establish a Global Dialogue and a Scientific Panel on AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, with the Summit behind, SI is taking stock of the multilateral system and planning next steps. Our primary focus for the foreseeable future, as it has been for the past year, will continue to be the advancement of multilateral AI governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Pact for the Future and Global Digital Compact include promising commitments on AI governance, there\u2019s still a lot of work to do to ensure that these commitments are effectively realized, well-designed, widely participated in, and harmonized with other efforts across the globe. Moreover, multilateral progress on AI, in whichever fora, will hinge on the cooperation of key AI developer states, for which the UN is just one facilitator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of all this, we developed an updated set of plans for the next ~6-12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Moving Ahead <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We continue to believe that life\u2019s ability to flourish in the future will be strongly influenced, if not determined, by how transformative AI (TAI) is governed: AI has the potential to either cause<\/a> existential catastrophe or enable<\/a> unprecedented improvements in living standards. Common needs and values<\/a> can guide effective multilateral cooperation in steering AI for the benefit of humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underpinning our plans are several further assumptions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n