IIT-Madras Professor B Ravindran appointed to UN’s AI scientific panel

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Prof. B. Ravindran is the Founding Head of Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT Madras and currently serves as Head of the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI). With more than three decades of experience in AI, his research interests span responsible AI and deep reinforcement learning.

Congratulating Prof. B. Ravindran, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “I am extremely happy that one of my colleagues, Prof. B. Ravindran, is a member of this august panel. Prof. B. Ravindran is playing a very important role in the Centre for Responsible AI. IIT Madras, in general and I, in specific, are extremely happy that Prof. B. Ravindran is part of this very important International Scientific Panel on AI, set up by the United Nations. I wish him and the panel all the best. This panel is going to play a very important role in achieving the positive impact of AI on our world.”

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Thanking the United Nations for the recognition, Prof. B. Ravindran, Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI), IIT Madras, said, “AI is a generational technology, and it is affecting everybody, sometimes knowingly and often, even without their knowledge, that their lives are being touched by AI. So, the UN has now constituted an international panel of experts to look at the far-reaching implications of Artificial Intelligence. I am very honoured to be representing India in this panel of experts and the voice of the Global South.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the India AI Impact Summit 2026, highlighting the significance of the meeting in India. He announced the appointment of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, comprising 40 experts, emphasising AI must benefit everyone. Guterres urged Member States and civil society to contribute to the panel’s work, providing scientific insight in a rapidly evolving AI landscape. He also launched a global dialogue on AI Governance within the UN, inviting all countries, private sector, academia, and civil society to participate.

The Panel’s creation follows the Global Digital Compact (A/RES/79/1), adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Future, which outlined a shared vision for an open, safe, and inclusive digital future. Among its commitments was the formation of a global scientific body to advance understanding of AI and ensure international discussions are guided by the best available scientific evidence, the institute statement said.