United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for internationally coordinated rules to govern artificial intelligence, warning that the technology is advancing faster than regulators can respond and that stronger safeguards are urgently needed to protect children and society.
Speaking at the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Guterres said artificial intelligence is already transforming economies, workplaces and public life, making it essential for governments to agree on common standards to manage its risks.
“AI is already transforming our world; the question is whether we will shape this transformation together, or let it shape us,” he told delegates attending the summit.
The UN chief cautioned against allowing humanity’s future to be determined by what he described as “vibe-coding,” a growing practice in which AI systems generate computer code and increasingly control machines with minimal human involvement. While acknowledging the technology’s potential, he warned that such developments should not outpace human oversight.
He said AI now has the ability to reshape economies, influence elections and alter global security, adding that the speed of deployment has exceeded the pace at which even its creators can fully understand its consequences.
Guterres also warned that the current generation may be the last with the opportunity to establish the rules governing the relationship between humans and intelligent machines.
The Geneva meeting is reviewing the first independent global scientific assessment of artificial intelligence prepared by a UN-backed panel of 40 experts. A more comprehensive report is expected next year, alongside a second international gathering in New York.
A major concern highlighted by Guterres was the concentration of AI development within a small number of companies and countries. He said many nations have had little influence over decisions that could shape their economic and technological future.
Despite the risks, he stressed that AI also offers significant opportunities in healthcare, education and sustainable development if deployed responsibly. He urged governments and technology companies to adopt shared methods for evaluating AI risks and to establish international safety standards, particularly for children.
Calling for an AI Child Safety Pledge, Guterres said companies should be required to prove that systems accessible to children are safe before release. He also proposed that AI services identify signs of distress among young users and connect them with human support where appropriate.
“No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI,” he said.
Beyond child safety, Guterres called for greater investment in AI capabilities across developing countries to prevent the digital divide from becoming an AI divide. He also urged technology firms to disclose the environmental impact of their data centres and transition them to renewable energy by 2030.
The UN chief reserved his strongest warning for military uses of artificial intelligence, describing lethal autonomous weapons as “killer robots.” He said machines should never be allowed to select and attack targets without meaningful human control and called for an international legal ban on such systems.
