UN Secretary-General António Guterres has recommended 40 experts to serve on the recently established Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Panel will be the “first global, fully independent scientific body dedicated to helping close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of AI across economies and societies,” according to the Secretary-General.
Guterres launched a High-Level Advisory Body in 2023 to develop recommendations for safe AI governance. Among the proposals the experts came back with was the recommendation to establish an international scientific panel to provide impartial, reliable scientific knowledge about the breakthrough technology. In August 2025, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) established the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. In October, the Secretary-General issued an open call for candidates to serve on the Panel.
In his remarks on the announcement, Guterres called for “shared understandings to build effective guardrails, unlock innovation for the common good, and foster cooperation.” “The Panel will help the world separate fact from fakes, and science from slop,” he said.
Chosen for their globally recognized expertise in AI, the recommended experts include: Sonia Livingstone (the UK), a professor at the London School of Economics and an advisor on media literacy and rights in the digital environment; Balaraman Ravindran (India), head of the Department of Data Science and AI at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras; and Maria Ressa (the Philippines), the renowned journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The other countries represented on the list are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cabo Verde, Chile, China (two nominations), Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany (two nominations), Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, the Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Türkiye, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US (two nominations). The list of experts reflects geographical representation and gender balance.
The announcement came on 4 February 2026. According to a UN press release, the nominations would be submitted to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which has the ultimate say in their appointment. [Independent International Scientific Panel on AI]
Originally written by: SDG Knowledge Hub
Source: SDG Knowledge Hub
Published on: 11 February 2026
Link to original article: UN Secretary-General Proposes Experts to Serve on Scientific Panel on AI
