Singapore’s foreign minister calls for stronger AI safeguards — Anadolu Agency

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, United States, called for stronger international rules and safeguards in the field of artificial intelligence. He said that AI capabilities are developing faster than the world’s understanding of the risks associated with them, Anadolu Agency reports.

Human control over AI

Balakrishnan described artificial intelligence as one of the most urgent areas. According to him, the technology has significant potential, but it can also pose risks due to autonomous systems that escape human control, as well as the possible use of AI by bad actors to create biological or other weapons of mass destruction.

The minister noted that stopping AI development is unrealistic because of great-power competition and strong commercial incentives. He compared the development of the technology to driving a high-performance car: innovation is its engine, but safe use requires thorough testing, clear limits on autonomous systems, and mechanisms for human intervention. In his view, people must ultimately retain control and bear responsibility for decisions.

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Statement on the Strait of Hormuz

Balakrishnan also stated that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in the Persian Gulf had become a serious test for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He stressed that transit passage through international straits is a right, not a privilege for which fees or duties may be charged.

According to Singapore’s foreign minister, the strait normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies. Its closure, he said, causes energy prices to rise, harms supply chains, and leaves seafarers stranded.