United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark appeal for far-reaching global regulation of artificial intelligence, warning that rapidly advancing AI technologies are already reshaping warfare, security, human rights and development faster than governments can respond.
Speaking at the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva on Monday, Guterres stated that the world was entering a critical moment in which powerful AI systems originally designed for civilian use are increasingly being adapted for military applications, including autonomous weapons often referred to as “killer robots.”
He stressed that without urgent international coordination, the world risks entering an era where the most consequential decisions are delegated to machines with limited accountability or oversight.
Although AI is widely celebrated for its transformative potential, Guterres cautioned that its unchecked development could deepen global inequalities, threaten children’s safety and accelerate geopolitical instability.
“AI sits at the heart of our common future, it needs to be one where machines can inform, but humans must decide, and answer.”
António Guterres
The high-level meeting brought together governments, technology companies, researchers, civil society organisations and technical experts to begin shaping “global, inclusive and evidence-based” framework for AI governance.
According to UN Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill no single country or corporation should be allowed to shape the future of AI alone.
“AI is too consequential to be shaped by a few. We need a conversation that is global, inclusive and grounded in evidence.”
Amandeep Singh Gill
Moreover, concerns about the rapid proliferation of deepfake technologies, generative AI tools, and autonomous systems capable of making decisions with little support from humans are growing as the Geneva debate continues. According to UN experts, there are significant governance gaps because the rate of technological innovation is now outpacing many countries’ current legal frameworks.
Echoing same worries, Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly noted that “collective action is needed to counter the sinister uses of AI.”
UN Champions Global AI Pact to Bridge Digital Divide
Beyond concerns over security and misinformation, the UN Secretary-General used his address to outline a broader vision for global AI governance anchored in safety, equity and human rights.
He urged world leaders to ensure that future AI systems are accessible to developing countries, warning that unequal access could deepen existing global inequalities and create a new form of technological exclusion.
“We cannot allow the digital divide to harden into an AI divide. And the AI divide to become a development gap, a security gap, and a sovereignty gap.”
António Guterres
He also called for all AI data centres to transition to renewable energy by 2030, pointing to the growing environmental footprint of artificial intelligence systems.
According to UN estimates cited during the summit, data centres already consume more electricity than many countries, and their energy demands are expected to rise sharply over the coming decade.
The Secretary-General also introduced proposals aimed at strengthening child safety protections in AI systems, including a proposed “AI Child Safety Pledge.” He warned that children were being exposed to unregulated AI technologies without adequate safeguards.
“No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI. We do not let medicine reach a child until it is proven safe. We test every toy; yet AI has reached our children their learning, their friendships, their most private questions before anyone asked what it would do to them.”
António Guterres
Under the proposed framework, AI developers would be required to conduct child-specific safety testing, prevent the generation of abusive content involving minors, and ensure that systems respond to signs of distress by directing children toward human support.
“When a child is harmed, the answer must never be ‘the algorithm did it,” Guterres added.
UN Chief further emphasised that human rights must remain central to any global AI framework, warning against the use of automated systems in high-stakes decisions involving justice, healthcare and policing.
“AI must never strip away dignity or entrench discrimination. In every high-stakes decision machines can inform, but humans must decide and answer.”
António Guterres
Meanwhile, concerns were also expressed regarding the unequal distribution of AI funding. Guterres indicated that, while private funding for AI infrastructure has reached new heights, governmental investment in developing nations remains comparatively low.
He condemned the current disparity as dangerously unsustainable and announced his support for a new UN-supported Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity Building, which is backed by over 20 countries.
Furthermore, the initiative aims to support developing nations in building their own AI systems, regulatory capacity and technical expertise, reducing dependency on private tech conglomerates and advanced economies.
“Used well and shared widely, AI could compress decades of development into years and become the great equalizer of the 21st century. But when countries do not align on how to test systems, measure risk and assign responsibility, a patchwork of incompatible rules raises costs, divides the world and protects no one.”
António Guterres
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