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UN General Assembly
From the SDG Lounge inside the United Nations headquarters during the 79th General Assembly, America Ferrera reflected on the powerful impact of her monologue from the film Barbie, which captivated global audiences. Speaking with GZERO’s own Tony Maciulis during a broader discussion on the power of local and grassroots activism, Ferrera highlighted the unique ability of art to connect with people, contrasting it with political speeches, which can feel distant and agenda-driven. Ferrera emphasized that Barbie—despite being a film about a doll—sparked conversations on important themes like patriarchy and gender equality. With its widespread success, Ferrera believes the film demonstrated how storytelling can resonate across diverse audiences, fostering engagement and dialogue in ways that traditional approaches might not.
For more on GZERO's UNGA coverage, click here.
AI’s impact on healthcare is expected to outpace education, according to Microsoft’s Brad Smith. AI is revolutionizing drug discovery and precision medicine, flowing naturally to doctors. But education evolves more slowly—tools alone aren't enough. It requires buy-in from teachers, students, and families. Smith emphasizes that while technology offers potential, true progress happens when people are brought along together on the journey, ensuring AI serves society.
Smith spoke during GZERO’s Global Stage livestream, “Live from the United Nations: Securing our Digital Future,” an event produced in partnership between the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, or CRAF’d, and GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft.
The headquarters of United Nations is pictured in New York on Aug. 1, 2022.
GZERO was on the ground at UN headquarters in Manhattan all last week as the General Assembly discussed the most pressing issues affecting the world. It was quite a whirlwind, but here are the broad strokes of what went down:
- Israel expresses defiance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an intense speech on Friday defending his country’s military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon. His remarks came the day after Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbascondemned Israel for “launching wars of genocide” and Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib called on Tel Aviv to halt its strikes on his country. Efforts to forge a Lebanon cease-fire on the sidelines of the UNGA came to naught.
- Ukraine presents a “victory plan.” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky came to New York with a very different attitude toward his country’s conflict. He asked his allies to give him the weapons — and the permissions — he needed to inflict damage deep behind Russian lines. US President Joe Biden used his speech to urge Ukraine’s allies to continue their support, asking those whose enthusiasm is flagging, “Will we walk away and let a nation be destroyed?”
- Time for a new Security Council? The UN’s most powerful body was organized during a very different time in global politics, and the lack of permanent representatives from Africa, Latin America, or Asia has eroded the UNSC’s credibility. Secretary-General António Guterres said now is the time to bring an African country onto the body, and Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti told GZERO’s John Haltiwanger doing so would bring perspectives that are too often ignored at the upper echelons of the international community.
- AI, oh my! GZERO’s very own Ian Bremmer was part of the body that released the first report to outline a truly global approach to the challenges posed by AI. The report asked the UN to begin working on a “globally inclusive” system for AI governance, called on governments and stakeholders to develop AI in a way that protects human rights, and made seven recommendations. More here.
- GZERO also organized a Global Stage livestream in coordination with the UN’s Complex Risk Analytics Fund (CRAF’d) entitled “Live from the United Nations: Securing Our Digital Future,”bringing together experts from across industry and government, including International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Czech President Petr Pavel, to discuss the best direction for this revolutionary technology.
AI for Good is more than a buzzword—it's a powerful tool tackling global challenges like food security, disaster response, and water conservation. Microsoft’s Brad Smith highlights real-world examples, such as using AI to analyze water data in Kenya, offering actionable solutions for governments and communities. Through collaborations with universities and NGOs, AI is driving progress on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, turning technology into a force for societal improvement.
Smith spoke during GZERO’s Global Stage livestream, “Live from the United Nations: Securing our Digital Future,” an event produced in partnership between the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, or CRAF’d, and GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft.
Disinformation is running rampant in today’s world. The internet, social media, and AI — combined with declining trust in major institutions — have created an ecosystem ripe for exploitation by nefarious actors aiming to spread false and hateful narratives. Meanwhile, governments worldwide are struggling to get big tech companies to take substantive steps to combat disinformation. And at the global level, the UN’s priorities are also being hit hard by these trends.
“We can't bring about and generate stability in fragile environments if populations are turning against our peacekeepers as a result of lies being spread against them online. We can't make progress on climate change if people are being led to believe first of all, that maybe it doesn't even exist, or that it's not as bad as they thought, or that it's actually too late and there's nothing that they can do about it,” Melissa Fleming, the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, told GZERO in a conversation at the SDG Media Zone during the 79th UN General Assembly.
“The UN alone cannot tackle these problems without civil society, without people. And the people are what drives political agendas. So it's really important for us to work on our information ecosystems together,” Fleming added.
Though Fleming said that many in the UN are excited by AI's myriad potential benefits, she also emphasized the serious problems it’s already posing in terms of accelerating the spread of disinformation—particularly via deepfakes.
“We've spent a lot of time also trying to educate the public on how to spot misinformation and disinformation and how to tell if a photo is real or if it is fake. In the AI information age, that's going to become nearly impossible,” Fleming said.
“So we're calling on AI actors to really create safety by design, and don't leave it only to the users to be able to try to figure out how to navigate this. They are designing these instruments, and they can be part of the solution,” she added.
GZERO’s Tony Maciulis spoke with Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships, which conducted the campaign, to learn more about the survey, and why there are reasons for hope in the face of so many challenges. An overwhelming 85% of women identify themselves as advocates for women’s rights and believe women’s representation will improve in the next decade. Despite issues like climate, conflict, peace and justice still being top concerns, women are still optimistic.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming global industries and societies, and the United Nations has taken a bold step to address its governance. During its 79th General Assembly, the UN adopted a pact they are calling “Summit of the Future.” Ian Bremmer, a member of the UN's high-level advisory panel on AI, highlighted the UN's efforts to create a global framework for AI governance.
The newly released report, Governing AI for Humanity, represents the first truly global approach to addressing the governance challenges posed by AI. Carme Artigas, co-chair of the panel, reinforced why the UN is uniquely positioned to lead this effort. As AI transcends borders and industries, no single nation can manage its potential harms, such as bias, discrimination, and lack of inclusivity, alone. By bringing together nations, particularly those from the global south, the UN aims to foster collaboration, encourage responsible AI development, and ensure that human rights remain at the forefront of innovation.
As AI continues to evolve, global governance of this transformative technology will become increasingly important in ensuring equity and minimizing risks.
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