The United Nations Thursday adopted a historical text defining the common values and principles needed to ensure the healthy development of artificial intelligence. The agreement was adopted at the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference, showing renewed cooperation on the ethics of artificial intelligence.

The agreement called the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence says that:

It approaches AI ethics as a systematic normative reflection, based on a holistic and evolving framework of interdependent values, principles, and actions that can guide societies in dealing responsibly with the known and unknown impacts of artificial technologies on human beings, societies, and the environment, and offers them a basis to accept or reject artificial intelligence technologies.

Although UNESCO states that artificial intelligence is supporting the decision-making of governments and the private sector as well as helping combat global problems such as global hunger and climate change, the organization warns that the technology “is bringing unprecedented challenges.”

UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay spoke about the Recommendation:

The world needs rules for artificial intelligence to benefit humanity. The Recommendation on the ethics of AI is a major answer. It sets the first global normative framework while giving States the responsibility to apply it at their level. UNESCO will support its 193 Member States in its implementation and ask them to report regularly on their progress and practices.

The first-ever Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence will be presented by the Director-General accompanied by experts at a press conference on 25 November.