UN chief urges action on AI curbs and ongoing wars in final address
The UN chief calls for AI curbs and demands for a global ceasefire in his last assembly address
On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave his final address to the General Assembly, urging policymakers to set rules for advanced artificial intelligence to end conflicts, focus on climate change and reform UN institutions, emphasizing a stern warning about potential risks.
According to Reuters, the former Portuguese prime minister whose five-year tenure ends on December 31, repeated his demands for international regulation of AI threats just as the UN’s 15-member Security Council prepared to host AI leaders for a briefing on the powerful technology.
Guterres also warned against growing fractures within the organization as nearly 130 world leaders gathered in New York, including leaders from South Africa and Germany as well as representatives of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Those countries leading this technological revolution must share information on emerging safety risks, cooperate on testing and evaluation – and work towards common safeguards that protect us all, Guterres said.”
The speech marked the conclusion of a ten-year term in which Guterres attempted to position the UN as a mediator in a multilateral regulatory regime even as major powers bypassed the organization and Washington reduced its funding.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington had introduced an AI safety alert protocol for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi to evaluate at the meeting this week. Resulting from negotiations to establish an AI dialogue, the proposal would cover AI-driven defense crises with national security implications.
Guterres has historically pursued global governance of AI. The UN already created a 39-member advisory body on AI with tech executives, government officials and academics from countries such as the US, Russia and Japan.
“Together, let's send a clear message from this hall: The fighting must stop. Humanitarian aid must flow. And navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored in accordance with international law, Guterres continued.
