Heidari Appointed to UN Panel on AI

The United Nations appointed Carnegie Mellon University's Hoda Heidari to its first-ever global scientific panel on AI.

Heidari, the K&L Gates Career Development Assistant Professor in Ethics and Computational Technologies in the School of Computer Science, is one of 40 representatives from across the globe appointed to the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. The panel will deliver a report to the UN about how AI is transforming the world, from risks to opportunities.

According to the UN, this panel will help bridge the gap between AI research and policymakers, distinguishing between overhyped results and the reality of these technologies.

"In an era of rapid technological advancement, effective AI governance requires policy dialogue that is grounded in robust, independent evidence, which is why this Scientific Panel on AI is needed now," the panel's website reads. "The establishment of the Scientific Panel on AI within the United Nations places science at the center of global efforts, at a moment when governments urgently need credible, multidisciplinary insight to keep pace with fast-moving developments."

Heidari, faculty in both the Machine Learning and Software and Societal Systems departments, was chosen from thousands of applicants.

The panel will present its inaugural findings at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance this July in Geneva. Learn more about the panel's work at the UN website.