Guterres urges coordinated AI safeguards ahead of UN Assembly
Guterres urged governments on 16 September 2026 to coordinate AI safeguards, arguing that national measures need international cooperation as the technology advances.
In short
- Guterres urged governments on 16 September 2026 to coordinate AI safeguards, arguing that national measures need international cooperation as the technology advances.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on governments on 16 September 2026 to coordinate safeguards for artificial intelligence, warning that understanding of its risks was lagging behind technological development.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, Guterres said national efforts to protect citizens needed international cooperation. His appeal, reported by Fana on 17 September, is also documented in the UN’s account of the briefing.
Guterres recognised potential benefits for health, education and climate action. He argued that safety measures should build public trust through transparency, accountability and respect for human dignity.
He also cautioned that voluntary pauses in AI development would not work if confined to a small number of countries. Geopolitical divisions, he said, made a shared approach difficult but necessary.
The UN’s Independent International Scientific Panel on AI is intended to support those discussions with evidence about the technology’s opportunities and risks. The appeal puts coordinated oversight on the agenda as world leaders prepare for General Assembly discussions.
