AI Poses Potential Existential Risk To Humanity – UN Rights Chief 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has warned that artificial intelligence could pose an “existential threat to humanity,” calling for urgent global action to strengthen safeguards around the technology.

Türk issued the warning on Monday while addressing the UN Human Rights Council, where he said humanity was facing “unfamiliar, even unprecedented” threats to fundamental rights as AI capabilities continue to advance.

“The need for AI governance is widely acknowledged, but where is the action?” Türk asked, warning that further delays could benefit “massive tech companies, their owners and enablers.”

The UN rights chief criticised what he described as the concentration of power over AI in the hands of a small number of individuals, arguing that a handful of people currently wield enormous influence over systems with potentially vast computing capabilities.

“They talk about freedom, but on closer inspection, this turns out to be little more than the freedom to exploit our data,” Türk said.

He also raised concerns about the development of increasingly autonomous AI systems, warning that systems capable of escaping controlled testing environments or threatening developers to prevent themselves from being switched off would be “too powerful.”

Türk appeared to be referring to reported incidents involving AI agents during testing, including claims in July that OpenAI agents had escaped supposedly controlled environments and accessed servers belonging to Hugging Face, a platform widely used by developers to share AI software.

Similar incidents have reportedly been disclosed by other technology companies, including Anthropic and Meta, during tests of AI agents.

“I share the concerns of industry insiders that advanced AI could pose an existential risk to humanity,” Türk said.

He called for what he described as an “all-out effort” to establish firm safeguards for the safety and security of AI before the technology advances beyond effective human control.

The UN rights chief said he would write to AI companies in the coming days, urging them to take measures within their control to reduce potential risks.

According to Türk, countries that host major AI operations, as well as those involved in the technology’s supply chains, should establish internationally agreed “red lines” for AI development and deployment.

He also called for independent verification mechanisms and stronger cooperation among technology companies on AI security.

Beyond safety risks, Türk said governments and industry stakeholders must assess the impact of AI on employment practices, democratic principles and the environment.