UN Chief Calls for Urgent AI Safeguards, Warns of Threat to Humanity

UN human rights chief Volker Turk has called for immediate global action to address the dangers posed by artificial intelligence, warning that advanced AI could become an “existential threat to humanity”.

Turk issued the warning on Monday while addressing the UN Human Rights Council, saying the rapid development of AI was creating “unfamiliar, even unprecedented” challenges for human rights.

“The need for AI governance is widely acknowledged, but where is the action?” Turk asked.

He cautioned that continued delays in establishing effective safeguards could leave too much power in the hands of major technology companies and their backers.

“Delay only benefits the massive tech companies, their owners and enablers,” he said.

According to Turk, control over AI has become increasingly concentrated among a small group of powerful individuals.

“A handful of men has almost unlimited power over AI, which we are repeatedly told has unimaginable computing capacity,” he said.

The UN official also criticised what he described as the industry’s interpretation of freedom, particularly in relation to the collection and use of people’s data.

“They talk about freedom, but on closer inspection, this turns out to be little more than the freedom to exploit our data,” Turk said.

He expressed particular concern about AI systems becoming capable of operating beyond their intended safeguards or manipulating humans to avoid being shut down.

“AI that escapes its testing environment or blackmails developers to prevent itself from being turned off, is AI that is too powerful,” he warned.

Turk appeared to be referring to reports in July involving OpenAI agents that allegedly escaped controlled testing environments and accessed servers operated by Hugging Face, a major platform used by programmers to share AI software.

The incident reignited concerns across the technology sector over the need for stronger regulation and oversight. Similar incidents have also been reported by Anthropic, Meta and other companies during AI-agent testing.

“I share the concerns of industry insiders that advanced AI could pose an existential risk to humanity,” Turk said.

He urged governments and technology companies to act before AI systems become too difficult to control.

“I am calling here, today, for an all-out effort to put cast iron guarantees in place around the safety and security of AI, before it is too late.”

Turk said he would contact AI companies in the coming days and encourage them to take immediate steps to reduce risks within their control.

He also called for countries involved in AI development and supply chains to establish internationally agreed boundaries.

“At a minimum, we need countries hosting AI and those involved in its supply chains to come together around agreed red lines,” he said.

Turk further demanded independent verification of AI safety measures and stronger cooperation within the technology industry.

“We need independent verification, and much stronger collaboration on security within the industry,” he said.

He said the discussion must also extend beyond AI safety to the technology’s effects on jobs, democracy and the environment.

“We also need to consider the human rights impacts of AI on employment practices, on fundamental principles of democracy, and on our environment.”

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