Computer Science Student Discusses AI Morality at United Nations Summer Program
Wisdom Obinna, a Ph.D. student in computer science at Georgetown University, has embarked on an extraordinary summer journey that has taken him from the halls of ethical technology exploration to the heart of international diplomacy at the United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva.
Obinna's summer began with his selection among over 1,250 applicants to participate in the Graduate Study Programme (GSP) at the UN's office in Geneva. This intensive five-week session brings together graduate students from around the world to immerse themselves in the workings of the UN and multilateral diplomacy.
Throughout the programme, Obinna had direct interaction with UN officials and international diplomats, gaining firsthand insights into the UN system and its operations. He spent mornings meeting with UN officials and afternoons debating global topics and writing guidelines for the UN to address. The structured debates and collaborative exercises fostered critical thinking and policy-making skills, while exposure to diverse international perspectives encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration and a better understanding of global diplomacy.
Prior to his time in Geneva, Obinna participated in a fellowship at the FASPE programme in Germany and Poland. FASPE invites around 80 graduate students and early-career professionals each year to learn from historians and ethicists and grow their leadership skills. Obinna's group was tasked with applying historic lessons from the dismantling of professional ethics in Nazi-era Germany to their responsibilities as modern technologists. This experience provided a unique historical context for understanding ethical technology practices.
Obinna's work during the FASPE fellowship and his participation in Georgetown's Tech & Society initiative, where he is a Fritz Family Fellow, have given him a deep understanding of evaluating computer science advancements for the common good. His group formulated recommendations on the ethical use of emerging technologies, including AI, quantum computing, and brain-computer interfaces.
The funding from the Fritz Family Fellowship also helped Obinna attend the U.N.'s Graduate Study Programme in Geneva. During his time there, he learned more than he taught, gaining an informed perspective on how to responsibly govern AI and other advancements.
Obinna believes that modern technologists must understand that the tools they create are not just for themselves but for the larger society. He hopes to apply these lessons to his doctoral research on how AI is affecting artists' creative agency.
Miladin Bogetic, program coordinator for the U.N. Graduate Study Programme, described the summer session as a crash course on the UN and multilateralism. Obinna left the programme inspired not only to learn new languages but also to continue advocating for socially smart tech.
Obinna admires the work of the United Nations for the public good and hopes to work with the intergovernmental organization one day. He believes that his experiences this summer have added a new dimension to his research and his understanding of the global impact of technology.
- Wisdom Obinna's doctoral research on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on artists' creative agency has been significantly influenced by his experiences at the United Nations (UN) Graduate Study Programme, where he learned about responsible AI governance.
- Prior to his time at the UN, Obinna participated in the FASPE programme in Germany and Poland, where he and other graduate students and early-career professionals learned historical lessons from the dismantling of professional ethics in Nazi-era Germany and applied them to modern technology practices.
- As a Fritz Family Fellow at Georgetown University's Tech & Society initiative, Obinna formulated recommendations for the ethical use of emerging technologies such as AI, quantum computing, and brain-computer interfaces, highlighting his dedication to ensuring these advancements serve the common good.
