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The U.N. human rights chief on Monday issued a stark warning about the risks posed by generative artificial intelligence, cautioning that the technology could evolve into a “modern-day Frankenstein’s monster” without strong global safeguards.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk told the U.N. Forum on Business and Human Rights that generative AI carries “tremendous promise,” but its deployment by powerful technology companies for political or economic gain could “manipulate, distort, and distract.”
“When powerful tech giants introduce new technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence, human rights can be the first casualty,” he said.
Turk warned that threats to privacy, political participation, free expression and work are “clear and present,” adding that AI systems could cause “unpredictable consequences” if allowed to expand without regulation.
Turk said governments must act collectively to prevent the current risks from growing into widespread harm, stressing that regulation is essential to preserve the positive potential of emerging technologies.
He also pointed to the broader issue of concentrated corporate power, noting the massive accumulation of personal and corporate wealth among a small number of global actors.
“In some cases, this exceeds the economies of entire countries,” he said. “When power is not constrained by law, it can lead to abuse and subjugation.”
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