UN Issues Stern Warning, Calling on the World to Act Immediately
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stern warning to world leaders regarding the pace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) development, which is deemed to hold massive risks that cannot be ignored.
This firm stance places Guterress in opposition to US President Donald Trump, who previously claimed that existing safety regulations are more than sufficient. Ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York next week, Guterres told reporters that the urgency of strict oversight of this smart technology will be a crucial agenda item in his meetings with heads of state.
“We cannot ignore the concerns that have been voiced, especially by those at the forefront of AI development,” Guterres said, as reported by Reuters on Thursday.
“It is the primary responsibility of every government to protect its citizens—including from the threats of artificial intelligence,” he added.
Public alarms regarding the potential destructiveness of AI have intensified following the drastic move by Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who decided to resign last week. Coxon’s departure was driven by deep concerns that technology developers believe their man-made systems have the potential to trigger mass extinction before the end of this decade. This wave of anxiety has also prompted several leaders of giant tech industries to call for a slowdown in the pace of AI innovation.
Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump remains unmoved. Last Monday, he stated that Washington already possesses adequate guardrails to regulate and penalise businesses in the AI sector, while dismissing the concerns voiced by industry executives.
On the other hand, Guterres has long been consistent in campaigning for the establishment of global AI governance. In 2023, the UN even formed a special advisory body consisting of 39 members, including technology executives, bureaucrats, and global academics from various superpowers such as the US, Russia, and Japan.
Diplomats have also leaked that the UN Security Council plans to hold a special session to discuss AI during the annual summit of world leaders next week—a continuation of the first meeting of the 15-member council held in 2023.
According to Guterres, nations holding control over leading AI technologies must build intensive communication channels, transparent information exchange schemes, and formulate shared safety standards. This step is considered urgent to prevent an unhealthy ‘race to the bottom’ that could trigger a global disaster in the future.
Meanwhile, Trump views doubts regarding domestic AI development as merely providing an advantage to his main competitor, China. Amidst this intensifying discourse, Trump is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington next week. Previously, Reuters reported that mid-level delegations from both countries had planned separate meetings in mid-September to specifically discuss potential cyber and AI risks.
“We need a shared understanding of how to advance safe, secure, and responsible AI development—while identifying when these increasingly powerful systems require stricter safeguards, or additional measures to manage potential risks,” Guterres concluded.