The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has warned that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is outpacing the ability of governments, regulators, and even its developers to effectively manage its risks.
According to Reuters, Guterres issued the warning on Monday while speaking at the inaugural government-level UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, where he called for coordinated international rules to ensure AI is developed and deployed safely and responsibly.
The UN chief said the unprecedented pace of AI development has far-reaching implications for economies, labour markets, elections, global security, and vulnerable populations, particularly children.
“A technology that can reshape economies, transform the world of work, sway elections and tilt the balance of security is being deployed faster than anyone—including the people building it—can keep up,” Guterres told delegates, according to Reuters.
He stressed that innovation must be accompanied by effective oversight, insisting that technological progress without proper regulation could pose significant risks.
“Innovation needs guardrails. If AI is to be powerful, it must be governed,” he said.
The two-day meeting marks the first government-level global dialogue convened by the United Nations to address AI governance, reflecting growing international concern over the technology’s rapid evolution and its impact on societies worldwide.
Guterres’ warning echoes concerns raised by industry leaders in recent months. In June, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Bluechip Technologies, Kazeem Tewogbade, identified the potentially destructive consequences of artificial intelligence as his biggest concern over the technology’s rapid evolution.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Bluechip Data and AI Summit in Lagos, Tewogbade acknowledged AI’s enormous potential to transform businesses and industries but cautioned that the unpredictable nature of increasingly powerful AI systems remains a major source of concern.
He warned that it is still difficult to fully anticipate how the technology could evolve or the risks it may pose if left unchecked.
His remarks came amid an intensifying global debate over AI safety, governance, and regulation, as governments, technology companies, and researchers grapple with the long-term implications of advanced AI for economies, employment, cybersecurity, and society.
Although the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance is not expected to produce a binding international treaty, it aims to build consensus on managing AI-related risks while enabling countries to harness the technology’s economic and social benefits.
Delegates attending the Geneva meeting are expected to review findings from a UN-backed independent scientific panel comprising 40 experts. The report examines both the opportunities presented by AI and the risks associated with its widespread adoption, offering recommendations to guide future international policy discussions.
The United Nations also plans to publish a more comprehensive global AI assessment next year, alongside a second Global Dialogue on AI Governance scheduled to take place in New York.
Guterres’ warning adds to a growing chorus of voices calling for stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence. Earlier, former Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt also cautioned that AI could pose a significant global security threat if exploited by terrorist groups or hostile states.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Schmidt said his greatest concerns extend beyond commonly debated issues, focusing instead on what he described as the technology’s “extreme risks.” He warned that countries such as North Korea, Iran, and Russia, as well as terrorist organisations, could potentially misuse advanced AI capabilities for harmful purposes if adequate safeguards are not put in place.
