The Media Line: Israeli AI Researcher Selected for New UN Panel Shaping Global Artificial Intelligence Policy

Israeli AI Researcher Selected for New UN Panel Shaping Global Artificial Intelligence Policy  

By The Media Line  

A Ben-Gurion University computer scientist is poised to become Israel’s only member of a new United Nations scientific body focused exclusively on artificial intelligence, after being recommended for appointment by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.  

Prof. Lior Rokach of the Stein Faculty of Computer and Information Science was selected from a pool of more than 2,600 candidates representing 140 countries to join the 40-member Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. The panel is designed to examine how artificial intelligence is influencing societies worldwide and to provide evidence-based guidance to international decision-makers.  

According to the university, the panel will function as an early warning mechanism for emerging AI developments and risks in non-military domains, while producing annual position papers intended to bridge research and policy and make AI knowledge accessible to countries around the world.  

Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, said, “Prof. Lior Rokach’s appointment to the UN’s Independent International AI Panel reflects his scientific leadership as one of the most cited researchers in his field, and the excellence of the University’s Stein Faculty of Computer and Information Science.”  

Rokach will serve alongside internationally recognized figures, including Prof. Yoshua Bengio, a Turing Award laureate known as one of the pioneers of deep learning, and Prof. Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner noted for her work on disinformation and online manipulation connected to AI technologies.  

The Stein Faculty, established this year, concentrates on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and computer science. Rather than traditional departments, it operates through five research institutes dedicated to foundational AI, applied AI research, theoretical computer science, interdisciplinary computational science, and software, systems, and security.  

Ben-Gurion University said Rokach will be available for interviews once the UN completes its formal vote to ratify the panel’s membership.  

The university, located in Beersheba, describes itself as a center for innovation in fields ranging from cybersecurity to climate, water, and health technologies, reflecting David Ben-Gurion’s vision of the Negev as a source of solutions for Israel and beyond.