UN chief urges global AI cooperation saying world can’t afford ‘a race to the bottom on AI safety’
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
The United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres on Sept. 16 called on AI‑developing nations and firms to cooperate on safety, warning that a “race to the bottom” cannot be afforded. He said governments must protect civilians from AI threats and that national action must be paired with coordination. Guterres cited a proposal from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to slow development through guardrails, echoing calls from OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Elon Musk, while Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg stressed safety responsibility. He noted obstacles such as competition with China and profit motives, and cited President Donald Trump’s dismissal of AI risks. The UN will advance ideas ahead of next week’s General Assembly session, building on a 40‑member scientific panel’s July warning about unchecked AI harms.
💡 Why It Matters
- · A coordinated slowdown could lock in shared safety standards before divergent national policies enable malicious exploitation of ever‑more powerful systems.