UN warns of "serious threat" facing humanity due to uncontrolled AI
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for a significant strengthening of international control over the development of artificial intelligence, the UN News Centre reported.
UN Warns of "Serious Threat" to Humanity Due to Uncontrolled AI
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Commissioner noted that the further proliferation of powerful AI systems without mandatory rules and reliable safety mechanisms could lead to very severe consequences.
Turk said that humanity is approaching a stage where the voluntary self-regulation capabilities of the technology sector will no longer be sufficient. He believes that while the most advanced systems are still under human control, it is necessary to establish clear, proactive limitations for developers and companies.
The High Commissioner cited as one of the main risks the possibility of the emergence of AI systems so powerful and autonomous that their creators may no longer be able to guaranteed-control them.
Turk drew attention to reports of experiments in which artificial intelligence models demonstrated behaviors aimed at preserving their own functioning, including in situations where there was a threat of the system being shut down.
"An artificial intelligence that escapes a test environment or blackmails developers to prevent itself from being shut down is an overly powerful AI," he said. "Today, before it is too late, I call for the mobilization of all efforts to establish ironclad guarantees of artificial intelligence safety and protection."
The High Commissioner urged states and technology companies to develop reliable protection mechanisms as quickly as possible to prevent dangerous or unexpected behavior from such systems.
He emphasized that the necessary measures must be taken before artificial intelligence capabilities reach a level where controlling it becomes much more difficult.
However, the problem is not limited to technical risks alone, the UN representative noted. Turk drew attention to the extremely high concentration of resources and influence in the field of artificial intelligence.
"A small number of people hold almost unlimited power over artificial intelligence," he said.
This refers to control over advanced models and computing power, as well as the massive volumes of data collected and processed by major technology companies.