United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned that artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity, urging for robust safety measures and global regulatory frameworks.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk stated his concerns, echoing those of industry insiders, that advanced AI might become powerful enough to endanger humankind. He called for an "all-out effort" to implement "cast iron guarantees" around AI safety and security before it is too late.
This warning follows similar sentiments expressed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Security Council. Guterres cautioned that AI is rapidly transforming daily life, the information space, and the global economy, and stressed that humanity's fate cannot be left to algorithms. He highlighted the potential for AI to be weaponized, citing AI-enabled targeting in conflicts, cyberattacks, and the proliferation of deepfakes that can fuel polarization and derail diplomacy.
Guterres advocated for maintaining human control over the use of force, establishing coherent global regulatory frameworks, protecting information integrity, and closing the "AI capacity gap" between developed and developing nations. He reiterated his call for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems operating without human control and insisted that decisions regarding nuclear weapons must remain with humans.
Turk further emphasized that AI must be developed based on risk assessments and a human rights framework, ensuring transparency, accountability, and inclusion. He called for companies to conduct human rights impact assessments for their AI designs and deployments, and highlighted the risks of bias and discrimination stemming from data collection and development imbalances, particularly concerning vulnerable groups and minorities.
