AI takes center stage as world leaders gather in New York

Nearly 130 world leaders are gathering in New York this week for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, with artificial intelligence emerging as a top concern amid rapid development and a lack of industry oversight. Other pressing topics include war, global warming, and rising costs, alongside questions about the UN's future leadership as Secretary-General António Guterres prepares to step down at year's end. Guterres urged perseverance, writing on X that "we cannot give up the fight for a better world for all." On the sidelines, US President Donald Trump will hold bilateral meetings with leaders from France, Britain, and Ukraine, while French President Emmanuel Macron also plans to meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and India's Narendra Modi will not attend, with Sweden represented by Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.