A candidate to become the next United Nations secretary-general has called for artificial intelligence to be regulated with safeguards comparable to those applied to nuclear weapons, warning that the technology could pose major risks if its development continues without stronger international oversight.
Ivonne A-Baki, an Ecuadoran-Lebanese diplomat nominated by Tonga for the UN’s top post, said governments needed to begin establishing rules for AI before the technology became more difficult to control.
A-Baki told AFP that AI should be treated as a major global security issue alongside nuclear weapons. She argued that international cooperation was needed to prevent the technology from developing without adequate safeguards.
Her comments came as world leaders prepare to gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, where AI is expected to be among the major issues under discussion.
Current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for greater international coordination on AI. He warned that countries should avoid a race to the bottom on AI safety and urged governments to establish common safeguards as increasingly powerful systems are developed.
A-Baki said humanity was not sufficiently controlling the development of AI because societies were becoming increasingly dependent on the technology. She argued that governments needed to establish rules while there was still time to shape its development.
She also called for greater cooperation between the United States and China, the two leading powers in AI development. A-Baki said competition between Washington and Beijing should not prevent them from working together on measures designed to reduce risks associated with the technology.
Her comments come amid growing concern among technology researchers and industry employees about the potential consequences of increasingly capable AI systems. Some workers at major AI companies have recently raised concerns about the pace of development and the safeguards surrounding advanced systems.
The debate has also reached the UN Security Council, where diplomats have discussed the implications of AI for international peace and security. Guterres has said countries with the greatest capabilities in advanced AI should establish mechanisms for communication, information sharing and common safety measures.
A-Baki, a former Ecuadoran trade minister and ambassador to the United States, is one of several candidates seeking to succeed Guterres, whose term ends at the end of 2026.
She has acknowledged that the UN faces significant challenges, including divisions within the Security Council, but said the organisation still has a role to play in encouraging countries to cooperate on issues that affect global security.
With AI expected to feature prominently in upcoming international discussions, calls for stronger regulation are likely to remain a central part of the debate over how governments should manage the technology while allowing its potential benefits to develop.
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