António Guterres, Secretary‑General of the United Nations, warned that the extremely rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is outpacing existing regulatory and oversight tools and called for internationally coordinated rules to reduce risks, particularly those facing children and public safety. He delivered the remarks on Monday in Geneva at the opening of the first government‑level global AI conference.
"This is a technology capable of reshaping economies and the world of work, influencing the outcome of elections, and destabilizing security balances. No one — not even its own developers — can keep up with its pace of development," Guterres said.
The Secretary‑General argued that innovation must be accompanied by safeguards: "If AI is to have such enormous power, it must be governed." He added that humanity should choose neither blind pursuit of the technology nor fearful avoidance, but thoughtful and organized governance instead of ad hoc drift.
Risks and potential benefits
Guterres identified the main risks as the speed of AI development, concentration of capabilities in a narrow set of actors, and the threat posed by machine‑generated content to the integrity of facts and information. At the same time, he acknowledged that the technology can accelerate progress, improve healthcare delivery, and ease access to education.
He urged that AI regulation prioritize safety, respect for human rights, strengthening the capacities of developing countries, and transparency.
Special protections for children
The Secretary‑General singled out child protection measures: he said it must not be allowed to use AI to create sexualized images of children. He also insisted that AI systems should be designed to direct a child in danger toward real human assistance.
The Geneva conference and its mandate
The two‑day Geneva conference is not intended to produce a binding agreement. Delegates are discussing how rules could be introduced to mitigate AI’s potential harms and to harness its opportunities safely. They are reviewing a report produced by a scientific panel of 40 experts that summarizes the findings of the first independent inquiry into AI.
Debate at the meeting and consideration of the experts’ report aim to help governments define common principles and measures to reduce AI‑related risks while enabling responsible use of its benefits.
