IIT Madras professor appointed to UN scientific panel on artificial intelligence

Professor B Ravindran of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras has been named to the United Nations’ Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, a newly formed body tasked with evaluating the technology’s global impact.

The panel has been established to provide rigorous and independent scientific assessments of artificial intelligence and its implications for societies, economies, and governance systems.

It is expected to strengthen international scientific collaboration, generate evidence-based analysis on AI deployment, and support global policy efforts through multidisciplinary expertise.

According to a statement issued by IIT Madras, the initiative is envisioned as the first global scientific body dedicated to AI, bringing together leading experts from across regions and disciplines to examine how the technology is reshaping lives worldwide.

Prof Ravindran is the founding head of the Centre for Responsible AI at IIT Madras and currently leads the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI. With more than three decades of experience in the field, his work focuses on responsible AI and deep reinforcement learning.

Congratulating him on the appointment, IIT Madras Director Prof V Kamakoti said, “I am extremely happy that one of my colleagues, Prof B Ravindran, is a member of this august panel. Prof B Ravindran is playing a very important role in the Centre for Responsible AI.”

“IIT Madras, in general, and I, in specific, are extremely happy that Prof B Ravindran is part of this very important International Scientific Panel on AI, set up by the United Nations. I wish him and the panel all the best. This panel is going to play a very important role in achieving the positive impact of AI on our world,” Kamakoti added.

Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Prof Ravindran said, “AI is a generational technology, and it is affecting everybody, sometimes knowingly and often, even without their knowledge, that their lives are being touched by AI.”

“So, the UN has now constituted an international panel of experts to look at the far-reaching implications of Artificial Intelligence. I am very honored to be representing India in this panel of experts and the voice of the Global South,” Prof added.

The announcement was made as UN Secretary General António Guterres addressed the India AI Impact Summit 2026. He introduced the 40-member Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and stressed that artificial intelligence must benefit all sections of society.

Guterres called on member states and civil society to support the panel’s work by contributing scientific insights in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

He also launched a global dialogue on AI governance within the UN framework, inviting participation from governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society.

The formation of the panel follows the adoption of the Global Digital Compact at the 2024 Summit of the Future.

The resolution outlined a shared commitment to building an open, safe, and inclusive digital future, including the creation of a global scientific body to advance understanding of AI and guide international discussions with the best available scientific evidence, the institute said.