A fragment of the exhibition of the “AI for Good” summit. Scientists warned members of the UN Security Council about how their latest developments can change the world Peace and security
Controlling a drone with the power of thought. This is no longer science fiction, but a reality, which scientists told members of the UN Security Council about on Monday. They warned that although this technology can help paralyzed patients walk again, it can potentially be used for less noble purposes, including in the military.
The UN Security Council gathered today to examine the impact of new technologies on the global security situation. To this end, world-renowned scientists were invited to the famous Security Council meeting room at the UN headquarters in New York. Neurosurgeon Jocelyn Bloch and neurobiologist Gregoire Courtin spoke about their discovery, which allows them to establish a “digital bridge between the brain and spinal cord.” This means a new life for people confined to a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury.
Bypass the damaged area
Paralysis in this case occurs due to the interruption of signals that the brain sends to activate the leg muscles. These signals are blocked at the level of the lesion. In this case, the area of the spinal cord that controls the legs may not be injured. Scientists told the Security Council that they had found a way to create a “digital bridge” between the brain and spinal cord to bypass the area that was blocking the signal.
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“The digital bridge consists of a first electronic implant with electrodes that record the activity of neurons in the brain that code for the motor functions of the legs; and a second implant to stimulate the area of the spinal cord that provides leg movement. Artificial intelligence deciphers the patient’s thoughts based on the recordings and programs spinal cord stimulation so that the paralyzed person can walk normally again,” Professor Bloch explained. According to her, they recently succeeded in applying the same principle to restore arm movement in a patient with paralyzed limbs.
“We plan to extend the scope of this therapy to stroke-related paralysis and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease,” she added.
Potential risks to society
Her research partner Professor Grégoire Courtin said in his speech that many patients with paralysis should have access to these treatments as early as the next decade. This progress will have a significant impact on the lives of many people, including young athletes, road accident victims, soldiers wounded on the battlefield, and other patients. This is a huge benefit for the patients themselves, their families and loved ones, as well as for society and the economy.
“Of course, these innovations also raise ethical and safety issues,” warned Professor Curtin. “We have equipped the brain with a new digital communication channel with huge potential applications. For example, our patients can control a drone with their thoughts. So we must anticipate a point where advances in brain-machine interfaces will allow healthy people to use this new form of communication for non-therapeutic or even military purposes.”
A turning point
He added that safety issues also need to be considered, such as the consequences of the “digital bridge” being unexpectedly disconnected by disturbances caused by electromagnetic fields present in our environment, or even the hacking of neurological data that allows the “digital bridge” to be controlled for walking. “While these problems seem unlikely in the near future, the concerns are real,” the neuroscientist stressed.
“We are at a turning point. What was science fiction just a few decades ago is slowly becoming reality. It is our collective responsibility to shape this new era in an ethical and safe way, paving the way for life-changing progress,” he concluded his speech.
Robots may stop obeying humans
Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) Robin Geiss recalled that since its establishment in 1980 as an autonomous research institution within the United Nations, UNIDIR has been helping states better understand the importance of science and technology for international peace and security.
He drew the attention of the meeting participants to the fact that all the established technologies that shape the reality of peace and conflict today were once considered promising developments. The latest achievements in areas such as advanced robotics, 3D printing, biotechnology, cyberspace or space are now a source of concern in the context of discussions on peace and disarmament.
No Time to Wobble
Geis noted that in the interconnected digital world, new technologies and scientific advances are developed, marketed and implemented at an unprecedented and ever-increasing speed. “It took half a century for the electrical grid system developed in the 1880s to reach 100 million homes around the world. In 2022, ChatGPT achieved the same result in just two months,” he said.
According to him, policymakers today have much less time to react to technical advances and take action. At the same time, many technologies can be applied not only in the areas for which they were intended.
A New Era in AI Development
The Director of UNIDIR warned that quantum technologies will have a significant impact on peace and security over the next 5-10 years. In particular, traditional encryption methods may become hopelessly obsolete, and quantum sensors will allow us to detect objects underground or underwater. Quantum computing, according to the speaker, will open a new era for artificial intelligence, allowing it to calculate models that cannot currently be run even on the most powerful computers.
The next decade and beyond also sees significant advances in artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Unlike today’s AI systems, which excel at specific tasks but are limited to narrow applications, AGI will be able to understand, learn, and apply knowledge dynamically across a wide range of contexts, allowing it to operate with a degree of flexibility closer to human intelligence. “This profound shift will have far-reaching implications for society,” Geiss warned, citing two particularly dangerous factors.
First, once AGI reaches levels of intelligence beyond human capabilities, humans may lose the ability to control or constrain its actions. Many experts see this as a concrete, plausible risk that deserves serious attention, especially given the existential nature of the threat.
Second, it may be difficult to ensure that the goals, motivations, and decision-making criteria of AGIs remain consistent with human values.
International Cooperation
Concluding his speech, the Director of the UN Institute emphasized that in order to mitigate these and other consequences, it is necessary to analyze the development of emerging technologies at the earliest possible stage in order to assess the risks and prevent the most dangerous scenarios.
“The Pact for the Future rightly emphasizes the need for evidence-based knowledge as a basis for policymaking,” he added.