News Flash
NEW YORK, Sept 25, 2025 (BSS) - Chief Adviser's Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi has warned of the potential perils of artificial intelligence (AI) despite having enormous benefits.
"The enormous benefits of AI are self-evident," he told the Security Council High-Level Open Debate on "Artificial Intelligence and International Peace and Security" held at the UN Headquarters here on Wednesday.
Siddiqi said AI can be a powerful enabler for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, post-conflict recovery, early-warning systems, and more accurate humanitarian response because of its data-driven insights.
"At the same time, the potential perils of AI are pernicious and we need appropriate policy responses, both at national and international levels, to safeguard against those perils," he said.
He also said unaccountable autonomous weapons, disinformation campaigns, deep-fake videos and algorithmic bias - AI can be exploited to jeopardise the fabric of peace and security - national or international - eroding trust, creating instability and undermining democratic processes.
With the exception of city states, Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world, with a large cohort of young people, the envoy said.
He said heavy density means that online disinformation can spread very quickly with serious offline consequences in the physical world.
"Especially when that disinformation is conducted from outside our borders, the policy challenges are great, unless we work together internationally across borders," Siddiqi said.
He said the United Nations has the opportunity to ensure that all Member States play a constructive role in combating motivated disinformation efforts from across borders.
The UN may also play a catalytic role in ensuring greater cooperation between global platforms or technology companies and governments, he said.
The special envoy said member states may also collaborate to share experiences in educating their populations against AI-doctored misinformation.
"More generally, we stress the importance of the central role of humans to ensure responsibility and accountability and urge states to comply with international law," he said.
He said for peacekeeping and peace building, the Security Council should encourage transparency, accountability, and human oversight in AI use.
Siddiqi said Bangladesh welcomes the ongoing UN and multilateral initiatives, including the Secretary-General's call for a Global Digital Compact, the recent launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and the establishment of an independent international scientific panel.
"We believe these are crucial not just for peace and security. They will ensure that the fruits of AI are inclusive of all, and that the threats of AI do not harm the most vulnerable of all," he said.
The special envoy said Bangladesh is ready to contribute to these initiatives.
