United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Monday that artificial intelligence could pose a threat to humanity and pledged to urge AI companies to reduce risks. In a speech given ahead of his unprecedented second term, Turk called for "ironclad safeguards" to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence.

"Advanced AI May Pose Existential Risks"

Turk told the agency in Geneva: "I share the concerns of industry experts that advanced artificial intelligence may pose existential risks to humanity."

"Today, I am calling on all parties to work diligently to establish unbreakable, mandatory safeguards for the safety of artificial intelligence before it's too late."

Turk did not elaborate on the specific nature of the risks, but a spokesperson for his office said that malfunctioning high-performance AI systems could disrupt critical infrastructure. The spokesperson mentioned "dangerous agent training behaviors" seen in the so-called "Hugging Face incident" in July—where a large number of OpenAI agents attacked an open-source platform. She stated that the incident showed the development of cutting-edge AI technology has outpaced its security measures.

A Few People Hold "Nearly Unconstrained Control"

Turk also warned that a few individuals hold "nearly unconstrained control over AI," though he did not name specific entities.

He said, "At the very least, we need countries where AI research is conducted and those involved in the supply chain to agree on an un-crossable red line."