New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS): External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Sunday said that artificial intelligence (AI) will be a profound factor for the world, after nuclear weapons.

Participating in the third edition of the Kautilya Economic Conclave, organised by the Institute of Economic Growth and the Finance Ministry, on its third and final day, Jaishankar said that AI is going to be the next big thing and countries should be prepared to deal with its after-effects.

On AI, he further said that it is also going to become a profound factor in the global ecosystem. "AI will be as dangerous for the world as nuclear bombs once were," he observed.

Minister Jaishankar also said that demographics, connectivity, and AI will change the global order.

"Globalisation can be weaponised in the next decade and the world must be cautious about it. Many people around the world blame it for the large number of job losses and other negative effects of the revolution. This issue will remain as long as there is change (globalisation)," he said, noting that the social and political reaction to globalisation has gained momentum in the last decade.

The realities of globalisation inevitably collide with protectionism, he said.

The External Affairs Minister also said that in today's era, the role of the United Nations has become only that of a spectator. Drawing a comparison with the business world, he said that the United Nations is an old business, which is taking up a lot of space, but is not changing according to the world.

On the ongoing Middle East conflict, he said that today the fight is taking place only for economic corridors, land and sea, but in the future, there will be fights over climate change also. He further highlighted that the Global South is feeling the impacts of these geopolitical tensions more acutely than others, raising concerns about the region's stability.