BY ALEX BALUKU
New York, Sept. 25, 2025 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that artificial intelligence poses a growing threat to global peace and security unless governments act swiftly to set binding international rules. Addressing a high-level UN Security Council debate on Artificial Intelligence convened by South Korea, he declared that “humanity’s fate cannot be left to an algorithm.”
Guterres urged member states to prioritize human control over the use of force, ban lethal autonomous weapons, and ensure that decisions involving nuclear weapons remain exclusively in human hands. “Humans must always retain authority over life-and-death decisions,” he said.
The Secretary-General outlined four urgent priorities, maintaining human control over weapons, building coherent regulatory frameworks, protecting information integrity, and closing the technology gap between developed and developing countries.
He cautioned that without guardrails, AI could be weaponized, powering autonomous targeting systems, cyberattacks on infrastructure, and deepfake campaigns capable of destabilizing elections or peace processes. At the same time, he pointed to AI’s potential to strengthen humanitarian work by predicting food insecurity, supporting de-mining, and detecting early signs of conflict.
“AI is no longer a distant horizon, it is here, transforming daily life, the information space, and the global economy at breathtaking speed,” Guterres said. “Innovation must serve humanity not undermine it.”
The Secretary-General’s warning comes amid growing international concern about AI’s risks. Just last week, more than 100 Nobel laureates, former heads of state, and technology experts called for the UN to establish “clear and verifiable red lines” on dangerous uses of AI by 2026, warning of “unprecedented dangers” if the technology remains unchecked.
In Australia, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the Security Council that AI’s potential use in nuclear weapons systems is “life-and-death” and must be urgently restricted. She warned that algorithms lack the conscience and accountability required for decisions that could destroy humanity.
Meanwhile, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt argued that the United States’ competitive, even chaotic, innovation ecosystem gives it an edge in the AI race against China, but stressed that AI development must remain grounded in democratic values.
The UN General Assembly has already taken initial steps, creating an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and launching an annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance. These forums are intended to connect science, policy, and practice, ensure every country a seat at the table, and reduce the risk of fragmented approaches.
Guterres called on states to nominate diverse experts to the new panel and to fully participate in shaping global norms. He also urged investment in capacity-building, especially for developing countries, to prevent AI from deepening inequality.
For the UN chief, the stakes are clear: just as the world created rules for nuclear weapons and aviation safety, so too must it act now to manage AI.
“The window of opportunity for shaping AI in the service of peace, justice and humanity is closing,” Guterres said. “We must act without delay.”
