After some initial scheduling conflicts, Google CEO Sundar Pichai finally addressed the UN Summit of the Future on Saturday, September 21, 2024. Pichai, who had to reschedule his appearance due to urgent matters at Google’s headquarters, delivered a speech that positioned AI as “the most transformative technology yet” and unveiled a new initiative for global AI education and training, according to Friday’s press release.
The speech, which had been highly anticipated by attendees, outlined four key areas where Pichai sees AI intersecting with sustainable development: enhancing multilingual information access, expediting scientific breakthroughs, improving climate disaster response, and driving economic growth. However, sources close to the matter revealed that Pichai’s original speech had included more detailed examples, but time constraints forced him to condense his remarks.
In a brief acknowledgment of AI’s potential drawbacks, Pichai touched on the issue of deep fakes. Notably absent from his speech was any mention of AI’s environmental impact, an omission that raised eyebrows among some summit participants, the release states.
The centerpiece of Pichai’s address was the announcement of Google’s $120 million Global AI Opportunity Fund. This initiative, aimed at bridging what Pichai termed an “AI divide,” will collaborate with local nonprofits and NGOs to disseminate AI education and training worldwide. The fund’s launch had reportedly been planned for an earlier date but was postponed to coincide with the UN summit for maximum impact.
Pichai concluded his speech by advocating for “smart product regulation” that balances harm mitigation with resistance to “national protectionist impulses.” He warned that poorly conceived regulations could exacerbate the AI divide and curtail the technology’s benefits. This statement was reportedly added to the speech at the last minute, following intense discussions with Google’s policy team, according to inside sources.
