Speech by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the General Assembly of the United Nations

Imagine if nuclear weapons were developed by private companies. If stockpiles were located on company grounds.  And launch codes locked away in a safe in a CEO’s office. When a technology has the power to fundamentally change the world, possibly even determine the fate of humanity – we need to ask: Today humankind faces another technological revolution that raises exactly these questions. Engineers have developed a technology that does not need to be launched from a rocket or a submarine to change the course of history. I am, of course, talking about artificial intelligence. A technology with seemingly unlimited power. In the wrong hands, it can upend our economies and threaten our livelihoods. It has the potential to erode trust within our societies by spreading information that appears real but is, in fact, fake.  A.I. can endanger the infrastructure that keeps our societies running. And ultimately, it can influence decisions that determine global peace and security. At the same time, artificial intelligence holds extraordinary promise. Improve healthcare and education all over the world.  Provide opportunities for economic development, overcome inequalities and...