The heads of major artificial intelligence companies have urged the United Nations Security Council to establish safeguards for rapidly advancing AI, warning that poorly managed technology could pose serious risks to humanity.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told the council that AI could become a risk to humanity if it was “managed poorly”, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that humans could “lose control of the future to AI”.

The executives called for international cooperation to prevent AI systems from becoming too powerful to control and to avoid excessive concentration of AI capabilities in the hands of a single company or country.

US Rejects Calls To Slow AI Development

The push for stronger global rules faced opposition from the United States. White House Science Adviser Michael Kratsios said concerns about losing control of AI should not be used as a reason to pause development or establish a new global governance structure.

“We want you, our allies and partners, to share in the benefits of this technology,” Kratsios told the council.

US President Donald Trump had also described AI as “superintelligence” on Tuesday and said the United States would reject efforts to restrict the technology as it competes with China for leadership in the sector.

China Warns Against AI Technology Blocs

Chinese UN Ambassador Fu Cong said countries should remain free to choose which AI technologies they use. He warned against creating an “us-vs-them” divide in the technology sector or forcing countries to take sides.

Fu instead called for greater use of open-source AI models, which he described as part of China’s approach to the technology.

The positions reflect a widening international debate over whether AI should be governed through global rules, national regulation or industry-led safeguards.

AI And The Risk Of Autonomous Warfare

The Security Council meeting also focused on the use of AI in warfare, particularly the possibility of machines making life-and-death decisions without meaningful human control.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned a day earlier about the risks posed by “killer robots”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the General Assembly that human control over machines must be established before AI begins making battlefield decisions.

Amodei called for countries to agree on measures preventing AI from being used to create biological weapons. He also urged governments to verify what AI models are capable of and establish common standards for testing, misuse and potential loss of control.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, whose country convened the Security Council meeting, compared the challenge posed by AI to the emergence of nuclear technology.

“Just as with the atom back then, the international community must now regulate AI in order to make the most of its potential and avoid the worst,” Barrot said.

Global Debate Over AI Governance

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said AI companies should not be left alone to prevent potentially catastrophic outcomes. He said Britain would put AI safety at the centre of its G20 agenda next year and seek common international standards.

Other speakers also highlighted the risks of delaying action. Liberian UN Ambassador Lewis G Brown II warned that hesitation over safeguards could carry serious consequences.

At the same time, AI leaders and governments continue to emphasise the technology’s potential benefits. Altman said AI could help give people “more power over their own lives”.

The Security Council discussion highlighted the competing approaches now shaping the global AI debate: calls from several governments and technology leaders for common safeguards, US opposition to new international controls, and China’s push for open-source technology and freedom of choice.

The debate comes as the United States and China compete for technological leadership, making questions around AI safety, access, concentration of power and military use increasingly central to international policy discussions.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share