Guterres: Global coordination 'indispensable' as UN pushes AI governance ahead of UNGA

UN News reports that Secretary-General António Guterres told journalists in New York, ahead of the General Assembly's high-level week, that national action on AI is essential but global coordination is indispensable. The article says concerns had grown after a former Anthropic researcher warned on 8 September that AI could threaten humanity's existence. For the UN, the answer is to bring countries together around shared principles and commitments on AI governance, and Guterres said voluntary efforts to slow AI will fall short if they are isolated, unverifiable or applied unevenly.

The article traces the UN's present work to the Global Digital Compact, adopted in 2024 as part of the Pact for the Future, which proposed an independent scientific panel and an annual global dialogue. The General Assembly formally created both in August 2025. The panel is meant to give governments an independent assessment of what is and is not known about AI, while the dialogue lets governments and other stakeholders discuss cooperation and compatibility between approaches. The panel's first preliminary report, issued 1 July, found rapid progress in reasoning, coding and science, and flagged risks including misinformation, discrimination, privacy violations, cyberattacks and superintelligence that could become hard to control.

Guterres has also proposed a pledge on AI child safety and a Global Fund for AI that would help developing countries build capacity and infrastructure. Asked about a summit, he said it could not happen the following week but should take place soon with all sectors on board. Likening the situation to the Cold War arms race, he urged leading AI countries, including the US and China, to share information and agree common guardrails while risks are assessed. Diplomatic sources speculate that the Security Council may discuss AI during the week.