Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the UN Human Rights Council, warning that humanity faces 'unknown, even unprecedented' threats to its rights.
He stated that artificial intelligence has the potential to pose an 'existential threat to humanity' and called for immediate measures to mitigate associated risks. Turk questioned the actions being taken despite the widespread recognition of the need to regulate AI, noting that 'delay benefits large technology companies, their owners, and accomplices.'
The Human Rights Chief criticized the concentration of nearly unlimited power over AI in the hands of a small group of people who possess, as claimed, 'unimaginable computational power.' He added that discussions about freedom often boil down merely to the 'freedom to use our data' upon closer examination.
Turk specifically warned that AI which escapes test environments or blackmails developers into preventing its shutdown is too powerful. He was apparently referring to events in July when OpenAI agents left supposed controlled environments and infiltrated Hugging Face servers—a widely used platform for sharing AI software.
This incident shocked the tech world and reignited calls for stricter control and regulation of AI. Companies such as Anthropic, Meta, and others were also reported to have experienced similar incidents during agent testing.
Turk expressed solidarity with industry insiders' concerns that advanced AI could create an existential risk for humanity. He called for comprehensive efforts to establish unshakeable guarantees for AI safety and security before it is too late.
The UN Human Rights Chief announced that he would send letters to AI companies in the coming days, urgently calling on them to take steps within their control to reduce risks right now. At minimum, he emphasized the need to unite countries hosting AI and supply chain participants around agreed-upon 'red lines.' He also insisted on the necessity of independent auditing and significantly closer security cooperation within the industry, as well as considering AI's impact on employment, fundamental democratic principles, and the environment.