The IE Law School's LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession hosts the presentation of the United Nations report on AI governance

On Wednesday, October 2, the IE Law School’s LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession hosted a session at IE Tower where Carme Artigas, Spanish Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, presented the report "AI Governance for the Benefit of Humanity" for the first time in Spain. The event, which brought together legal experts, reaffirmed IE Law School's commitment to leading discussions about the future of the legal profession in a digital world.

This report is the result of the work of the United Nations High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, a group co-chaired by Artigas, composed of a leading set of experts representing the public and private sectors, civil society, and institutions. The uniquely diverse Advisory Body is the world’s first and most representative expert group capable of reflecting humanity’s aspirations for AI.

During her speech, Artigas emphasized the need for global AI governance, pointing out that if the risks and opportunities of this technology are not addressed properly and collectively, it will be impossible to capture its benefits, such as its use to achieve the SDGs, "as it affects fundamental rights." She underscored that AI is "the only technology that can continue to evolve without human intervention," which presents unprecedented challenges for humanity and traditional regulatory frameworks.

The report proposes seven key recommendations for global AI governance, including the creation of a global fund for AI to reduce the gap with the global South, a global AI data framework, and an AI office within the UN Secretariat, reporting to the Secretary-General.

These proposals aim to ensure that AI is developed in a transparent, ethical, responsible, and inclusive manner. "We need a common ground for action," Artigas emphasized, advocating for regulatory convergence. "We cannot allow just seven countries to dominate the conversation while 118 others, mostly from the Global South, are excluded," she stressed, highlighting the need for global representation.

The IE Law School's LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession encourages reflection on the challenges and opportunities of the legal sector within Spain and at a global level. The Center was initially made up of large business law firms such as CMS Albiñana, Cuatrecasas, Gómez Acebo y Pombo, Garrigues, Pérez-Llorca, Roca Junyent, Sagardoy Abogados and Uría Menéndez. Recently, other companies such as Caixabank, Microsoft and Telefónica have joined.

Watch the news coverage from Expansión here.