UN Security Council to convene meeting on artificial intelligence risks next week

The UN Security Council will convene a meeting on artificial intelligence during next week's General Assembly session, as international alarm grows over the rapidly evolving technology's potential dangers, a French diplomatic source confirmed.

The session will take place while world leaders gather at UN headquarters in New York, coinciding with France's rotating presidency of the security council. The source did not specify which day the meeting would occur.

Dual Focus on Security and Children

French officials said artificial intelligence would feature prominently on the global agenda through two distinct lenses: the existential threat AI presents to international security and the specific risks the technology poses to children. "In terms of global affairs, the issue of AI will be very high on the agenda through two different angles," the diplomatic source told reporters.

Rights Chief Issues Urgent Warning

The announcement came as UN rights chief Volker Turk issued a stark appeal for immediate action, calling on countries and "frontier" artificial intelligence companies to urgently rein in the technology. Turk warned that AI posed "unprecedented risks" that demanded swift regulatory intervention.

The Security Council meeting represents a significant step in placing AI governance on the international security agenda, signaling growing recognition among major powers that the technology requires coordinated global oversight.

Source: South China Morning Post