UN calls for AI safety safeguards — ABC News Australia
In Geneva, Switzerland, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems could pose an existential risk to humanity. He called for robust safety safeguards for such systems to be introduced urgently.
As ABC News Australia reports, Türk addressed the UN Human Rights Council, which consists of 47 states. This was his first address to the Council since securing a second four-year term in July.
Risks to infrastructure and democracy
The High Commissioner urged countries where AI companies are based, as well as states involved in supply chains, to agree on common red lines. According to a representative of his office, failures in powerful artificial intelligence systems could disrupt critical infrastructure, communications and democratic institutions.
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Türk also warned that almost unlimited power over artificial intelligence is concentrated in the hands of only a few men, without naming specific individuals. A representative of the UN office referred to a July incident involving the Hugging Face platform, saying it could indicate that advanced AI capabilities are outpacing existing safeguards.
Statements on the war and US migration policy
During his speech, Türk condemned Russia, the aggressor state, for intensifying its attacks against Ukraine. He also expressed horror over reports that Russia allegedly used fully autonomous drones in Ukraine in August, which, according to those reports, killed three people. Reuters was unable to independently verify this information. The High Commissioner supported calls to urgently ban weapons capable of taking human lives without human involvement.
Separately, Türk urged the United States to ensure accountability for approximately 23 deaths in immigration custody since the beginning of the year and expressed concern over plans to equip agents with electroshock gloves. The US Department of Homeland Security had previously stated that it sought to ensure safe, secure and humane detention conditions. The UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to reconvene on October 7 to discuss the war in Iran, the civil war in Sudan and other crises.
