United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned that increasingly powerful artificial intelligence could pose an “existential risk to humanity,” calling for urgent international action to put stronger safeguards around the technology.

Türk issued the warning on Monday while addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he said governments and technology companies must act before advances in artificial intelligence become too difficult to control.

The UN rights chief said he shared concerns expressed by some people within the technology industry about the potential dangers of advanced AI.

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

He called for an “all-out effort” to establish strong guarantees for the safety and security of AI before it was too late.

Türk also urged countries to agree on clear international “red lines” governing the development and use of artificial intelligence.

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

The UN official expressed concern over the concentration of power in the hands of a small number of individuals and companies developing advanced AI systems.

He said a handful of people currently had “almost unlimited power over AI”, pointing to the growing influence of major technology companies in determining the direction of the rapidly developing technology.

Among the major companies operating in the sector are Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.

Türk said he would engage with technology companies in the coming days to push for measures aimed at reducing the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.

He also called for independent verification and greater cooperation on AI security, stressing that stronger governance was needed alongside technological development.

“The need for AI governance is widely acknowledged, but where is the action?” he asked, warning that delays could benefit the large technology companies developing increasingly powerful systems.

His comments come amid growing international debate over how artificial intelligence should be governed as governments struggle to keep pace with rapid advances in the technology.

The United Nations held its first global governance meeting on AI in July, while countries continue to debate how best to establish common rules covering the development and deployment of advanced systems.

Türk’s warning adds to growing calls for governments to establish safeguards before AI systems become more powerful, while balancing technological innovation with human rights and public safety.

(Reuters)

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