OpenAI, Anthropic CEOs Urge UN To Set Global Safeguards For AI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have urged the United Nations to establish safeguards for artificial intelligence, warning that the technology could become difficult to control as its capabilities expand.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on AI, Altman warned humanity “could lose control of the future to AI,” while Amodei called poorly managed AI “a risk to humanity as a whole.” Both urged the need for safeguards, including common testing standards and measures to verify advanced AI capabilities. 

The discussion at the UN comes as governments grapple with how to manage increasingly capable AI systems without slowing their potential benefits. Altman and Amodei both argued that AI should not become concentrated in the hands of a single company or country. Altman also highlighted the potential of AI to improve people’s lives, while warning about the risks of losing control over its development.

Amodei called for countries to agree on measures to prevent AI from being used to develop biological weapons. He also proposed ways to verify the capabilities of advanced AI models and establish common standards for testing them, including tests for potential misuse and loss of control.

“Worries about control of AI are not a reason to pause its further development or to constrain it with new global governance structure,’” said White House Science Adviser Michael Kratsios. “We want you, our allies and partners, to share in the benefits of this technology,” he added.

China also weighed in, with UN Ambassador Fu Cong saying countries should be able to choose AI technologies according to their needs. The US and China are also discussing a possible mechanism to notify each other about AI incidents that could affect national security.

The UK is pushing for greater coordination, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband saying AI will be a major focus when the UK leads the G20 next year, including efforts to establish common global standards for safe AI development.

The debate also extended to military applications. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that AI could increasingly influence battlefield decisions and called for human control over machines. Experts also raised concerns about autonomous weapons and accountability when AI is involved in decisions involving the use of force.