AI: Türk urges action before it becomes an ‘existential risk to humanity’ | UN News Skip to main content / navigation Welcome to the United Nations Language العربية 中文 English Français Русский Español Português Kiswahili Other Hindi हिंदी Urdu اردو Global UN News Global perspective Human stories English Search Search Advanced Search Language العربية 中文 English Français Русский Español Português Kiswahili Other Hindi हिंदी Urdu اردو Global UN News Global perspective Human stories Menu Home Global Africa Americas Asia Pacific Middle East Europe UN Art and Gifts History Corner Topics Peace and Security Economic Development Humanitarian Aid Climate and Environment Human Rights UN Affairs Women Law and Crime Prevention Health Culture and Education SDGs Migrants and Refugees In depth In Focus Interviews Features Photo Stories UN News Today The Lid is On UN Gender Focus UN and Africa UN Podcasts Secretary-General Spokesperson All Statements Selected Speeches Press Encounters Official Travels Media UN Video UN Photo Meeting Coverage Media Accreditation UN Web TV Language العربية 中文 English Français Русский Español Português Kiswahili Other Hindi हिंदी Urdu اردو Global Search Search Advanced Search Audio and Subscription Audio Hub Subscribe AI: Türk urges action before it becomes an ‘existential risk to humanity’ © UNOCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska The aftermath of a drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine (file). UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk (file) said on Monday that he was "horrified" by the thought of fully autonomous weapons being used in battle. Facebook Twitter Print Email AI: Türk urges action before it becomes an ‘existential risk to humanity’ By Alpha Diallo in Geneva 7 September 2026 Human Rights UN human rights chief Volker Türk added his voice on Monday to growing calls for greater AI controls, warning that the revolutionary technology could become an “existential risk to humanity” if left unchecked. Without binding rules, independent oversight and clear limits, the technology could become impossible to control, the High Commissioner told the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Mr. Türk raised the prospect of AI systems becoming so powerful that their developers could no longer control them. “AI that escapes its testing environment, or blackmails developers to prevent itself from being turned off, is AI that is too powerful,” he 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.” ‘A handful of men’ in control Mr. Türk called on countries hosting AI technologies and those involved in their supply chains to work together to establish clear boundaries. “We need independent verification and much closer cooperation on safety within the sector,” he said. But he stressed that the challenge goes beyond technical safety. “A handful of men has almost unlimited power over AI,” he said, pointing to the growing concentration of technological power and the vast amounts of data being collected and processed. But he also highlighted the need for technology “that serves humanity rather than the other way round”, with regard to jobs, democracy and the environment, insisting that human rights must remain the guiding principle. ‘Horrified’ by autonomous weapons The High Commissioner also raised concerns about AI being used in warfare, particularly the development of weapons capable of making lethal decisions without human intervention. Mr. Türk said