The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted the first global resolution on artificial intelligence to encourage protecting personal data, monitoring AI for risks, and safeguarding human rights, US officials said.

The nonbinding resolution, proposed by the United States and co-sponsored by China and 121 other nations, took three months to negotiate and also advocates strengthening privacy policies, the officials said.

"Today, all 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly have spoken in one voice and together chosen to govern artificial intelligence rather than let it govern us," said United States ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield after the resolution was adopted.

The resolution is the latest in a series of initiatives - few of which carry teeth - by governments around the world to shape AI's development, amid fears it could be used to disrupt democratic processes, turbocharge fraud or lead to dramatic job losses, among other harms.

"Let us reaffirm that AI will be created and deployed through the lens of humanity and dignity, safety and security, human rights and fundamental freedoms. Let us commit to closing the digital gap within and between nations and using this technology to advance shared priorities around sustainable development. And let us answer the call to leverage AI for the good of all people in the only way we can - together," said Thomas-Greenfield to the United Nations General Assembly before the adoption.

In November, the US, Britain and more than a dozen other countries unveiled the first detailed international agreement on how to keep artificial intelligence safe from rogue actors, pushing for companies to create AI systems that are "secure by design."

Europe is ahead of the United States, with EU lawmakers adopting a provisional agreement this month to oversee the technology, moving closer to adopting the world's first artificial intelligence rules. The Biden administration has been pressing lawmakers for AI regulation, but a polarized US Congress has made little headway.

The White House sought to reduce AI risks to consumers, workers, and minority groups while bolstering national security with a new executive order in October.

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(Production: Soren Larson)