The First Scientific Report on Artificial Intelligence (AI), a preliminary scientific assessment of the technology, has been prepared by the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which was commissioned by the United Nations (UN). The report is organised around seven themes: advances in AI science; uses in healthcare, education and agriculture; economic implications; security and environmental impacts; human rights and democracy; cultural and individual wellbeing; and governance and reliability. It is intended to give governments a shared, evidence-based picture to guide global AI policy.