Science before policy: the UN's Independent Scientific Panel on AI

The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI is a separate UN body created to produce independent, evidence-based assessments of the opportunities, risks and impacts of artificial intelligence. It is co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio and Maria Ressa and has 40 members who serve in their individual capacity, from all regions. Its Preliminary Report was launched on 1 July 2026 and presented at the Geneva Dialogue. As the UN puts it, the Panel provides the science while the Dialogue provides the space to act on it. At the opening, Professor Bengio said that science currently cannot guarantee that AI will not cause catastrophic harm as capabilities increase, while Maria Ressa stressed that governments cannot regulate what they do not understand. Estonia's Ambassador Tammsaar reminded delegates that AI can also be a great equalizer for development, science and health. The Summit's theme, Beyond Consensus, starts from this tension: shared evidence is necessary, but cooperation requires more. Sources: UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance FAQ (un.org); AI Weekly, 6 July 2026.