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U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk warned Monday that advanced artificial intelligence could become powerful enough to pose an “existential risk to humanity,” calling for stronger global safeguards before the technology develops further.
“I share the concerns of industry insiders that advanced AI could pose an existential risk to humanity,” Turk told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva ahead of the start of his second term next month.
“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,” he said.
Turk said he would urge technology companies in the coming days to take steps to reduce the risks posed by AI.
Without naming individuals, Turk warned that only a small number of people hold “almost unlimited power over AI.”
Major AI companies include Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google.
“At a minimum, we need countries hosting AI and those involved in its supply chains to come together around agreed red lines,” Turk said.
His comments echoed previous warnings from leading artificial intelligence executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, about potential extinction risks from advanced AI.
The U.N. has called for harmonized international rules to reduce risks associated with artificial intelligence.
The organization held its first global meeting on AI governance in July as it seeks greater international coordination over the technology.
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