On June 10, 2025, the United Nations University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau) hosted two AI trainings at the UN Country Team office in Beijing, bringing together approximately 40 diplomats and Chinese government officials. The event was designed to provide insights into AI and its applications in diplomacy and sustainable development.
The morning session, tailored for Chinese government officials, focused on how AI can support the work of the United Nations and improve operational efficiency. Dr. Jingbo Huang, director of UNU Macau, introduced the mission of United Nations University and the unique position of the UNU Institute in Macau in the field of digital technology. Dr. Jingbo Huang also emphasized the role of AI in enhancing decision-making processes and supporting the daily operations of the UN system. Participants gained a foundational understanding of AI's relevance within the broader context of the UN’s sustainable development agenda.
The afternoon workshop, “Demystifying Artificial Intelligence for Diplomats”, engaged diplomats from various embassies for a hands-on exploration of AI's opportunities and challenges. Dr. Serge Stinckwich, head of research of UNU Macau, provided an overview of AI's historical development, from early theories to modern large language models. He explained how these models generate outputs by predicting the next word based on large datasets, rather than “understanding” content. Dr. Stinckwich also discussed key risks, including misinformation, hallucinations, and environmental impact, and offered a summary of UN efforts to develop inclusive and ethical AI governance frameworks.
Following this, Jia An Liu, research assistant at UNU Macau, introduced practical uses of AI. He highlighted the creative and analytical potential of generative AI models and shared strategies and hands-on insights in prompt engineering to improve output quality of GenAI and minimize hallucinations. A case study from the UNU Macau AI Conference 2025 demonstrated how AI tools can support tasks like data clustering and pattern recognition in complex datasets. He also introduced UNU Macau’s research activities about integrating Large Language Models with Agent-Based Modeling for social simulations, and applications in the areas of policy making and sustainable development.
Dr. Ally Nyamawe, researcher at UNU Macau, further expanded the workshop with a broader analysis of global AI development. He discussed the global competition for AI, many nations are taking distinctive approaches to AI development. Dr. Nyamawe also highlighted AI’s potential to address pressing social issues—from healthcare to disaster management — while also emphasizing the ethical and regulatory challenges involved, including algorithmic bias and the need for transparency and accountability.
The training gave participants a useful introduction to both the potential and challenges of AI in their professional contexts. UNU Macau will continue supporting the UN and diplomatic communities through practical training and research-based guidance on the responsible use of emerging technologies.
For more information on UNU Macau’s training programs, please visit our webpage on training.
