Tech Leaders Urge UN to Regulate AI, Warning of Existential Risks

Leaders of major AI companies urged the UN Security Council on Wednesday to regulate artificial intelligence, warning that mismanagement could threaten humanity's future. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified that safeguards are needed to prevent AI from becoming uncontrollable. The executives called for global standards to prevent AI power from concentrating in one company or country, while also highlighting its potential benefits. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband endorsed their warnings, saying AI control will be central to next year's G20 discussions. However, the United States opposed new global governance structures, with White House adviser Michael Kratsios arguing development should continue. The meeting addressed concerns about autonomous weapons, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy citing a recent Russian drone attack that allegedly used AI to make targeting decisions. China's UN ambassador advocated for open-source models and warned against forcing countries to take sides. The discussions coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington.