A UNITED NATIONS advisory body said on Thursday that global governance of artificial intelligence is “imperative” and urged the UN to lay the foundations for the first inclusive global institutions to regulate it.

In a 100-page report, the group said AI “is transforming our world,” offering tremendous potential for good from opening new areas of science and accelerating economic growth to improving public health, agriculture and optimising energy grids.

But left ungoverned, it said, AI’s benefits could be limited to a handful of countries, companies and individuals, while even more powerful systems than exist today “could upend the world of work,” create autonomous weapons and pose risks to peace and security.