WASHINGTON: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to brief the United Nations Security Council next week during the UN General Assembly, as governments and technology leaders debate how to manage the growing risks associated with artificial intelligence.
The meeting is being organised by France, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member Security Council, and will focus on concerns surrounding the rapid development of advanced AI systems.
Global call for AI coordination
The briefing comes amid increasing calls for international cooperation on artificial intelligence governance.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this week that national measures alone would not be enough to address AI-related challenges, calling global coordination essential.
“National action is essential. But global coordination is also indispensable,” Guterres said.
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The discussion follows growing concerns among researchers and technology workers about the speed of AI development and the potential consequences of increasingly capable systems.
Tech leaders debate development pace
Several leading figures in the AI industry have recently called for greater caution.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged a slowdown in the advancement of AI models, arguing that more time was needed to understand and manage emerging risks.
OpenAI’s Altman, Elon Musk and Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis have expressed support for stronger safety measures, with Hassabis previously calling for international oversight of advanced AI development.
The debate has intensified after concerns were raised by some AI researchers about the possibility of highly capable systems behaving unpredictably.
Divisions over regulation
While some technology leaders and policymakers argue that stronger safeguards are needed, others warn that excessive regulation could limit innovation and weaken competitiveness.
US President Donald Trump has dismissed some warnings about AI risks and opposed calls for tighter restrictions on the industry.
Altman’s upcoming UN Security Council appearance will place one of the world’s most influential AI executives at the centre of a global discussion over how countries can balance technological progress with safety concerns.
