IIT Madras professor B. Ravindran appointed to UN scientific panel on AI

Professor B. Ravindran of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has been appointed as a member of the newly established Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the United Nations (UN). The panel is mandated to provide authoritative, scientific assessments of AI’s impact on societies, economies and global development.

The panel was created under UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/79/325 , adopted in August 2025, and serves as the first global scientific body focused on AI. Comprising 40 independent experts selected in their personal capacities, it brings together specialists from diverse geographic regions and disciplines to produce evidence‑based scientific analyses of AI’s opportunities, risks and societal implications. Its terms of reference call for balanced geographic and gender representation, and set a three‑year term for members, with co‑chairs elected from both developed and developing countries. The panel is expected to issue annual summary reports and thematic briefs and engage in interactive dialogues with the UN General Assembly.

Addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, UN Secretary‑General António Guterres highlighted the panel’s role in bridging gaps in global AI understanding and governance. He said the panel embodies a message that “AI must belong to everyone” and urged Member States, civil society and academia to actively contribute to its work, noting that representation from both developed and developing nations ensures more equitable global participation in shaping AI’s future.

Prof. Ravindran is the Founding Head of the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT Madras and currently leads the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) . With over three decades of experience in AI research, his work spans areas including responsible AI and deep reinforcement learning.

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti welcomed the announcement, emphasizing the institute’s commitment to advancing responsible AI research and its contributions to global AI discourse. Prof. Ravindran, expressing gratitude for the UN recognition, said he was honored to represent India and the voice of the Global South on a platform aimed at understanding AI’s societal impacts worldwide.

The panel’s establishment also supports the annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance , another initiative under the UN framework designed to foster multistakeholder engagement on AI policy and ethical considerations. Through these mechanisms, the United Nations seeks to strengthen scientific cooperation, bridge disparities in AI expertise between developed and developing countries, and promote inclusive, evidence‑driven approaches to global AI governance.