UN rights chief warns AI could pose an existential threat to humanity

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk says artificial intelligence development has reached a point where good intentions are no longer enough. He warned that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity and called for immediate action to reduce the risks.

Türk said people have increasingly less control over systems that process unimaginable amounts of data and shape everyday life. The warning highlights the widening gap between the speed of technological development and society’s ability to govern it.

He called on governments and technology companies to agree quickly on common rules and “red lines.” The debate now turns on what those limits should cover, which cases should serve as warnings, and how close the world is to taking practical steps to rein in artificial intelligence.