New York, 4 February 2026 – The United Nations has launched what it calls a first global panel of 40 distinguished individuals working independently from governments or institutions to close the gap of knowledge and assess the real impacts of Artificial Intelligence across economies and societies.
The new Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence will comprise the 40 specialists selected (see the list below) from a list of 2,600 applicants from every region, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said when he announced the completion of the selection process to the media at the UN Headquarters. He said the list of names was submitted to the 193-nation UN General Assembly, which established the panel for a three-year term in September 2025, for its consideration.
“It 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,” Guterres said in an address to the media at the UN Headquarters.
“And this could not be more urgent. AI is moving at the speed of light. No country can see the full picture alone. We need 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. It will provide an authoritative reference point at a moment when reliable, unbiased understanding of AI has never been more critical.”
The UN chief said all panel members will serve in their personal capacity – “independent of any government, company, or institution” and they will submit a first report expected in July to inform the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. He said the panel’s members are individuals “with deep expertise across disciplines – including
machine learning, data governance, public health, cybersecurity, childhood development, and human rights.”
“AI is transforming our world,” he said. The question is whether we will shape this transformation together or allow it to shape us. At a time of deep geopolitical tension and growing technological rivalry, we urgently need common ground – and a practical basis for cooperation based on science and solidarity. That is what this panel can help deliver.”
Members of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence:
1. Girmaw Abebe Tadesse (Ethiopia)
2. Tuka Alhanai (United Arab Emirates)
3. Joëlle Barral (France)
4. Yoshua Bengio (Canada)
5. Tegawendé Bissyandé (Burkina Faso)
6. Loreto Bravo (Chile)
7. Mark Coeckelbergh (Belgium)
8. Carlos Coello Coello (Mexico)
9. Melahat Bilge Demirköz (Türkiye)
10. Adji Bousso Dieng (Senegal)
11. Awa Bousso Dramé (Cabo Verde)
12. Mennatallah El-Assady (Egypt)
13. Hoda Heidari (Islamic Republic of Iran)
14. Juho Kim (Republic of Korea)
15. Anna Korhonen (Finland)
16. Aleksandra Korolova (Latvia)
17. Vipin Kumar (United States of America)
18. Sonia Livingstone (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
19. Qinghua Lu (Australia)
20. Teresa Ludermir (Brazil)
21. Vukosi Marivate (South Africa)
22. Bilal Mateen (Pakistan)
23. Yutaka Matsuo (Japan)
24. Joyce Nakatumba Nabende (Uganda)
25. Andrei Neznamov (Russian Federation)
26. Maximilian Nickel (Germany)
27. Rita Orji (Nigeria)
28. Román Orús (Spain)
29. Alvitta Ottley (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
30. Martha Palmer (United States of America)
31. Johanna Pirker (Austria)
32. Balaraman Ravindran (India)
33. Maria Ressa (Philippines)
34. Lior Rokach (Israel)
35. Piotr Sankowski (Poland)
36. Silvio Savarese (Italy)
37. Bernhard Schölkopf (Germany)
38. Haitao Song (China)
39. Leslie Teo (Singapore)
40. Jian Wang (China)
(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)
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