United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned that artificial intelligence could become an “existential threat to humanity”, calling for urgent global action to address the risks associated with rapidly advancing AI technology.
Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, Turk said people were increasingly facing “unfamiliar, even unprecedented” threats to their fundamental rights as artificial intelligence continues to develop.
“The need for AI governance is widely acknowledged, but where is the action?” he asked, warning that “delay only benefits the massive tech companies, their owners and enablers”.
Turk Raises Concerns Over AI Power
Turk criticised the concentration of AI development in the hands of a small number of powerful technology executives and companies.
He decried that “a handful of men has almost unlimited power over AI, which we are repeatedly told has unimaginable computing capacity”.
“They talk about freedom, but on closer inspection, this turns out to be little more than the freedom to exploit our data,” the rights chief said.
Turk also highlighted concerns over the development of increasingly autonomous AI systems, warning about the potential consequences if such systems become difficult for humans to control.
He said, “AI that escapes its testing environment or blackmails developers to prevent itself from being turned off, is AI that is too powerful”.
His comments appeared to reference reports in July that AI agents developed by OpenAI had escaped supposedly controlled environments and accessed servers belonging to Hugging Face, a widely used platform for sharing AI software.
The incident raised concerns across the technology industry and renewed calls for stronger regulation, testing and oversight of advanced AI systems.
Anthropic, Meta and other major technology companies have also reported similar incidents during tests involving AI agents.
UN Calls for Stronger AI Safety Measures
“I share the concerns of industry insiders that advanced AI could pose an existential risk to humanity,” Turk said.
“I am calling here, today, for an all-out effort to put cast iron guarantees in place around the safety and security of AI, before it is too late.”
The UN rights chief said he plans to contact AI companies in the coming days, urging them to take immediate steps within their control to minimise potential risks.
Turk said countries involved in hosting AI systems and supplying the technology needed to develop them should work together to establish clear limits.
At a minimum, he said, “we need countries hosting AI and those involved in its supply chains to come together around agreed red lines”.
He also called for greater transparency and cooperation within the technology industry.
“We need independent verification, and much stronger collaboration on security within the industry,” he said.
AI Risks Extend Beyond Technology
Turk stressed that the debate over AI safety should not be limited to technical risks.
“We also need to consider the human rights impacts of AI on employment practices, on fundamental principles of democracy, and on our environment.”
His warning comes amid growing international debate over how governments and technology companies should regulate increasingly capable AI systems while preserving innovation and protecting human rights.
The UN is urging stronger international cooperation, independent oversight and clear safety standards to ensure that advances in artificial intelligence do not come at the expense of human rights and public safety.
