UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Unchecked progress in AI may pose grave risks, warns UN panel

Q1. The Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence was established under which one of the following United Nations General Assembly resolutions?

  • A. A/RES/78/265
  • B. A/RES/79/1
  • C. A/RES/79/325
  • D. A/RES/77/295

Q2. In the context of UN action on artificial intelligence, the 'Global Dialogue on AI Governance' is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. The sole legally binding treaty body with exclusive authority to regulate all AI systems worldwide
  • B. An intergovernmental forum, held under UN auspices, at which member states and stakeholders receive and respond to the Scientific Panel's report
  • C. A private-sector consortium of leading AI firms that self-certifies frontier models
  • D. A UN specialised agency, on par with UNESCO, with its own budget and secretariat for licensing AI products

Q3. How many members constitute the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence whose preliminary report was presented at the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance?

  • A. 28
  • B. 29
  • C. 40
  • D. 193

Q4. Which one of the following is regarded as the first global standard on the ethics of artificial intelligence?

  • A. The Bletchley Declaration (2023)
  • B. UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021)
  • C. The G7 Hiroshima AI Process International Code of Conduct (2023)
  • D. The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act

Q5. The 'Hiroshima AI Process' in the context of global AI governance refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A G7-led initiative that produced voluntary International Guiding Principles and a Code of Conduct for organisations developing advanced AI
  • B. A legally binding G20 treaty obliging signatories to license all generative AI models
  • C. A UNESCO recommendation setting ethical values for AI adopted by its General Conference
  • D. A UN Security Council mechanism authorising sanctions against misuse of military AI

Q6. The UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021) is best characterised as which one of the following?

  • A. A binding international convention directly enforceable in the domestic courts of member states
  • B. A non-binding normative instrument that member states are expected to implement voluntarily
  • C. A regulation that automatically overrides national AI laws of member states
  • D. A commercial licensing framework administered by UNESCO for AI companies

Q7. The UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence was adopted by which body and in which year?

  • A. The UNESCO General Conference, in 2021
  • B. The UN General Assembly, in 2021
  • C. The UNESCO Executive Board, in 2019
  • D. The UN Human Rights Council, in 2023

Q8. The Bletchley Declaration, agreed at the AI Safety Summit of 1-2 November 2023, was signed by how many countries (in addition to the European Union)?

  • A. 28
  • B. 29
  • C. 44
  • D. 100

Q9. Under the UN framework, the annual evidence-based scientific assessment of the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence is produced by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. The Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence
  • B. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • C. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
  • D. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Q10. The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), which India chaired in 2024, is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A multi-stakeholder international initiative to support responsible and human-centric development and use of AI
  • B. A specialised agency of the United Nations dedicated to regulating AI
  • C. A legally binding G20 treaty imposing common AI safety laws on members
  • D. India's national statutory regulator for artificial intelligence
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