IIT Madras Prof B Ravindran Appointed to UN Scientific Panel on AI

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Professor B Ravindran has been appointed to the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence set up by the United Nations to assess the impact of AI on society.

The panel was established through UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/79/325 on August 26, 2025. It follows the Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations (A/RES/79/1), adopted at the Summit of the Future 2024, which called for the formation of a global scientific body to guide international AI discussions with scientific evidence.

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi last week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of the 40-member panel.

“Meeting in India has special meaning. It brings this conversation closer to the realities shaping much of the world,” Guterres said. “Last year, the UN General Assembly took two decisive steps. First, creating an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. I am happy to announce that the panel is now being appointed.”

“In a world where AI is racing ahead, this Panel will provide what's been missing - rigorous, independent scientific insight,” he added.

Guterres also said the UN had launched a global dialogue on AI governance to ensure that countries, the private sector, academia and civil society have a voice.

The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI is tasked with strengthening global scientific cooperation, generating evidence-based insights on AI deployment, and supporting governance efforts by providing multidisciplinary expertise on the technology’s societal, economic and ethical implications.

Prof Ravindran is the Founding Head of the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT Madras and Head of the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI). His research areas include responsible AI and deep reinforcement learning.

Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, welcomed the appointment.

“I am extremely happy that one of my colleagues, Prof Ravindran, is a member of this panel,” he said. “This panel is going to play a very important role in achieving the positive impact of AI on our world.”

Prof Ravindran said he was honoured to be part of the panel.

“AI is a generational technology, and it is affecting everybody, sometimes knowingly and often, even without their knowledge,” he said. “I am very honoured to be representing India in this panel of experts and the voice of the Global South.”