UN Secretary-General urges global cooperation to ensure AI safety

Speaking at a press conference during the start of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Guterres emphasized that AI could bring significant benefits to society. He highlighted that the technology has the potential to accelerate sustainable development, improve education, and strengthen both healthcare and climate resilience.

However, he cautioned that the speed of development is moving much faster than the world's ability to understand the potential risks. He stressed that the concerns raised by people working directly on the technology must be taken seriously, noting that some industry figures are calling for a pause, while many others are calling for the implementation of guardrails.

"We can’t afford to ignore their concerns," Guterres stated. He argued that the international community requires genuine international cooperation and a coordinated global effort to ensure that AI remains safe, transparent, and accountable, with human dignity remaining at the very center of its development.

The Need for Global Coordination and Governance

The UN Secretary-General emphasized that while national measures are essential, they will not be sufficient on their own to manage the technology. He argued that because AI is cross-border in nature, international coordination is indispensable to address the challenges effectively.

Guterres warned that isolated and unevenly implemented voluntary measures would not adequately address the various challenges posed by AI. He stated that it is the first responsibility of any government to protect its citizens, including from the emerging threats associated with artificial intelligence.

To guide policy through scientific evidence, the UN has established the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. This group brings together global scientific expertise to ensure that the development of AI policy is grounded in hard data and evidence.

Industry Debates and Existential Threats

The UN chief's remarks come at a time of intense debate within the technology industry. There is a growing discussion regarding whether the rapid development of capable AI systems should be slowed down or accompanied by much stronger safeguards.

This debate has been fueled by several high-profile figures in the tech sector:

• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has publicly called for a slower pace of AI development.
• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has expressed similar views.
• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has supported the discussion.
• Google's Demis Hassabis has also voiced support for the conversation.

These discussions intensified after researcher Jacob Coxon, associated with Anthropic, announced his departure from the industry. Coxon cited concerns that AI companies are moving too quickly to develop systems that could eventually become difficult to control.

Addressing Interconnected Global Challenges

Guterres indicated that AI will be a major subject in his upcoming discussions with world leaders. He signaled that the United Nations will continue to examine practical approaches to managing these emerging risks and called for a common international framework. This framework would help determine when increasingly powerful AI systems require additional safeguards or stronger measures to manage potential risks.

He placed the AI debate within the context of a wider set of global challenges facing the planet. Guterres noted that international cooperation is becoming more necessary as countries confront multiple interconnected threats.

He specifically identified three existential threats that the world is currently facing: runaway artificial intelligence, the climate crisis, and the intolerable deepening of inequalities. He concluded that as these threats converge, international cooperation is more necessary than ever before.