UN Calls On Countries Hosting AI Technologies, Supply Chains To Work Together To Establish Clear Boundaries
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has added his voice to growing calls for greater AI controls, warning that the revolutionary technology could become an "existential risk to humanity" if left unchecked.
Without binding rules, independent oversight, and clear limits, the technology could become impossible to control, Türk stated during a speech at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He raised the possibility of AI systems becoming so powerful that their developers could no longer control them.
"AI that escapes its testing environment, or blackmails developers to prevent itself from being turned off, is AI that is too powerful," he said. "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."
Türk urged countries hosting AI technologies and those involved in their supply chains to collaborate and establish clear boundaries. "We need independent verification and much closer cooperation on safety within the sector," he said.
However, he emphasized that the challenge extends beyond technical safety. "A handful of men has almost unlimited power over AI," he noted, referencing the growing concentration of technological power and vast amounts of data being collected and processed.
He also highlighted the need for technology "that serves humanity rather than the other way round," concerning jobs, democracy, and the environment, while insisting that human rights must remain the guiding principle.