Secretary-General Tells Security Council That ‘AI’ Must Never Equal ‘Advancing Inequality’, Urging Safe, Secure, Inclusive Future for Technology

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence and the maintenance of international peace and security, in New York today:

I thank the United States for convening the meeting on artificial intelligence (AI) and the maintenance of international peace and security.

I briefed this Council about AI in July 2023.  As I said then, those that feel like technology is moving very fast must understand a simple fact: technology will never move in the future as slowly as today.

In the short time since, artificial intelligence has moved at breakneck speed.  Fuelled by record investments, today’s AI models keep getting more powerful, more versatile and more accessible — combining not only language, image, sound and video, but also automating decisions.

Artificial intelligence is not just reshaping our world — it is revolutionizing it.  Tasks that required years of human expertise are now completed in a heartbeat.

But the risks are equally huge.  This rapid growth is outpacing our ability to govern it, raising fundamental questions about accountability, equality, safety and security. And about humanity’s role in the decision-making process.

Artificial Intelligence without human oversight would leave the world blind — and perhaps nowhere more perilously and recklessly than in global peace and security.

AI tools are already making a positive difference in countries suffering from conflict and insecurity.  Identifying food insecurity and predicting displacements caused by extreme events and climate change.  Detecting and clearing landmines.  And soon, AI could spot patterns of unrest before violence erupts.

But, AI has also entered the battlefield in more troubling ways. Recent conflicts have become testing grounds for AI military applications.  AI’s expansion into security systems raises fundamental concerns about human rights, dignity and the rule of law — from autonomous border surveillance to predictive policing and beyond.

I have long warned about unforeseen consequences of AI-enabled systems:  each advance creates new and unimaginable vulnerabilities.  The “AI arms race” creates fertile ground for misunderstanding, miscalculation and mistakes.  AI-enabled cyberattacks could cripple a country’s critical infrastructure and paralyse essential services.

Most critically, AI is eroding the fundamental principle of human control over the use of force.  From intelligence-based assessments to target selection, algorithms have reportedly already been used in making life-and-death decisions.

The convergence of AI with other technologies amplifies these risks exponentially.  The integration of AI with nuclear weapons is particularly alarming, with potentially disastrous consequences.  We must avoid it at all costs.

And looking ahead, quantum-AI systems could breach the strongest defences and rewrite the rules of digital security overnight.

Let’s be clear:  the fate of humanity must never be left to the ‘black box’ of an algorithm.  Humans must always retain control over decision-making functions — guided by international law, including international humanitarian and human-rights law and ethical principles.  Humanity’s hand created AI.  Humanity’s hand must guide it forward.

Beyond weapons systems, we must also address other risks to peace and security posed by artificial intelligence.

AI creates highly realistic content that can spread instantly across online platforms — manipulating public opinion, threatening information integrity and making truth indistinguishable from outright lies.  Deep fakes could trigger diplomatic crises, incite unrest and undermine the very foundations of societies.

The environmental footprint of AI also poses distinct security risks.  The massive energy and water consumption of AI data centres, combined with the rush for critical minerals, is creating dangerous competition for resources and geopolitical tensions.

Unprecedented global challenges call for unprecedented global cooperation.  In July 2023, I welcomed calls from some Member States “for the creation of a new United Nations entity to support collective efforts to govern” AI and to “establish and administer internationally agreed frameworks and mechanisms of monitoring and governance”.

Since then, a series of initiatives has prompted high-level discussions around international peace and security implications — including on responsible applications of AI in the military domain.

Declarations on AI have been issued from many Member States, regional groups and international organizations.  The United Nations has pursued efforts to reduce fragmentation of AI governance and help bring these separate initiatives towards a common framework.  The General Assembly has adopted two resolutions on AI — promoting enhanced global cooperation and capacity-building.

A third resolution — focusing on AI in the military domain — has been recommended by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) and will be considered by the General Assembly in the coming days.

Drawing from extensive global consultations, my high-level advisory body on AI has developed — in record-time — a blueprint for addressing both the profound risks and opportunities that AI presents to humanity. Their work laid the foundation for a framework that connects existing initiatives, and ensures that every nation can help shape our digital future.

The United Nations Global Digital Compact transforms this shared vision into action.  Adopted by leaders at the Summit of the Future, the Compact represents the first universally endorsed framework on AI governance.  It commits to establishing an independent international scientific panel on AI and initiating a global dialogue on AI governance within the United Nations — giving every country a seat at the table.

And the Compact requests options for innovative financing to build AI capabilities where they are needed most, ensuring developing countries receive our full support.  A world of AI haves and have-nots would be a world of perpetual instability.  We must never allow AI to stand for “advancing inequality”. Only by preventing the emergence of fragmented AI spheres can we build a world where technology serves all humanity.

Our next steps will be crucial, and the choices we make now will define our future.  Every moment of delay in establishing international guardrails increases the risk for us all.

I urge Member States to move swiftly in establishing the international scientific panel on AI and launching the global dialogue on AI governance within the United Nations.

I also reiterate my call for banning lethal autonomous weapons. We must establish new prohibitions and restrictions on autonomous weapons systems by 2026.  No country should design, develop, deploy or use military applications of AI in armed conflict that violate international law, humanitarian law and human rights.  That includes relying on AI to select or engage targets autonomously.

Members of this Council must lead by example and ensure that competition over emerging technologies does not destabilize international peace and security.  I urge you all to join forces to build a safe, secure and inclusive AI future.