Running the world with AI? (Part One)

Given the appalling mediocrity of our elected leaders, I often wonder if an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based on the UN general principles will be better than our elected leaders and dictators for managing and leading humanity and planet earth? 

Maybe I’m not just the only one thinking that way as a lot of people are wrestling with right now: whether a system built on shared global principles could outperform the messy, inconsistent behavior of our present human leaders.

First, when I talk about “UN general principles”, I mean the UN Charter and related frameworks that emphasize human rights, peace and conflict prevention, environmental stewardship, equality and non‑discrimination, international cooperation and sustainable development. 

Hypothetically, if an AI were built to strictly follow these principles, it would be oriented toward long‑term planetary well‑being, minimizing harm, seeking fairness across populations and evidence‑based decision‑making. 

As you can see an enormous difference from how many human leaders operate, as they often face short election cycles, national interests over global ones, pressure from donors, parties, or elites, personal ambition and cognitive biases. 

All this means that, in theory, an AI could be more consistent, less self‑interested, and more long‑term oriented than our politicians. In a next blog I will see the true possibilities and challenges with a government by AI...