Volker Türk said AI is advancing rapidly and could eventually become powerful enough to endanger human survival if its development is not carefully managed.
• Türk plans to urge technology companies in the coming days to take stronger steps to reduce the risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems.
• His warning reflects growing concern among governments, scientists and civil society groups about the technology’s potential misuse and unintended consequences.
• Risks include the spread of disinformation, cyberattacks, autonomous weapons and systems operating beyond effective human oversight.
• The United Nations has called for international cooperation and clear safeguards to ensure AI is developed in a way that protects human rights and public safety.
Türk’s remarks add to mounting pressure on the private sector to improve transparency, testing and accountability as companies race to expand AI’s capabilities. The debate is increasingly focused not only on near-term harms, but also on how to prevent future systems from becoming impossible to control.