GENEVA: United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk has warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) could pose serious and existential risks to humanity in the future, urging stronger global measures to ensure the technology’s safety and security.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk said concerns raised by experts within the AI industry about the risks associated with advanced systems could not be ignored. He warned that failures or misuse of powerful AI systems could disrupt critical infrastructure, communication networks and democratic institutions.
He called on the international community to establish robust safeguards and regulations for artificial intelligence and stressed that there should be no further delay in putting effective safety guarantees in place.
Turk also expressed concern over the growing concentration of power in the hands of a small number of individuals and major technology companies in the AI sector. He proposed that countries developing AI technologies, as well as those involved in their supply chains, should work together to establish clear boundaries and common safety standards.
The UN human rights chief also referred to a recent AI-related incident, warning that the capabilities of some advanced AI systems appear to be developing at a much faster pace than the safeguards designed to control them, raising serious concerns for the future.
