The United Nations (UN) argues that governments should not wait for a complete understanding of all the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) before starting to create safeguards. This warning was presented in the first thematic report of the international scientific panel established by the organization to analyze both the risks and opportunities of this technology.
The document points to threats that have catastrophic or irreversible potential. This discussion is taking place during the UN General Assembly, a period when the United States and China are preparing to debate issues related to artificial intelligence.
For this panel, it is not necessary to precisely determine how or why certain events involving advanced AI systems occur before strengthening security. The recommendation follows the precautionary principle, which holds that mere scientific uncertainty should not prevent the adoption of measures against potential serious or irreversible harm. This concept was originally included in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, dated 1992, and has influenced public health and environmental policies.
The report emphasizes the importance of this principle given the possibility of losing control over AI systems. Among the highlighted aspects, there is mention of incidents involving companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta, including attacks on real targets and groups of agents who took control of messaging forums.
The scientific panel is part of a structure set up by the UN dedicated to discussing AI governance. Its purpose is to provide governments with an impartial analysis of what is already known and what remains unknown about the technology. Parallel to this, there is the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, which brings together governments and other sectors to discuss cooperation and compatibility between various governance approaches.
António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, summarized the organization's stance, stating that while national action is fundamental, global coordination is essential. The issue gains international relevance at a time when the United States and China are preparing to dialogue on AI. Guterres advocates that countries with greater capacity in developing cutting-edge systems must maintain open lines of communication, exchange information, and establish mutual safeguards.
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The Secretary-General drew an analogy between the advancement of AI and the arms race that occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. According to him, collaboration mechanisms are necessary to prevent a dispute that could raise global risks. Furthermore, the UN is working on proposals such as an international agreement focused on child safety in the use of AI and a global fund aimed at assisting in building infrastructure and technological capacity in developing nations.
Guterres reinforced the concern by declaring that the world cannot afford to participate in a competition that leads to a lower level of AI security. The organization aims to convert existing diplomatic and scientific mechanisms into concrete actions as advanced artificial intelligence systems progress.
