United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged world leaders to develop common international safeguards for artificial intelligence, calling for cooperation on emerging safety risks, testing and a multilateral framework backed by credible and independent oversight.
The appeal came during his final address to the UN General Assembly on September 22.
Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31, also used the address to call for an end to conflicts, stronger climate action and reforms to international institutions facing mounting global challenges.
Proposal for Conducting Cyber Crisis Drill, Tabletop Exercise (TTEx) & CCMP Readiness Exercise
What Does Guterres Want Countries to Do on AI?
Guterres called on countries at the forefront of AI development to share information about emerging safety risks and cooperate on testing and evaluation.
He said governments should work towards common safeguards as increasingly powerful AI technologies raise concerns that extend beyond national borders. He also urged leaders to create conditions for the responsible pacing of AI development and introduce additional protections to address potential risks.
The UN chief called for a multilateral AI risk-management framework supported by credible and independent oversight, placing international cooperation at the centre of his approach to governing the technology.
Why Is the UN Focusing on AI Safety?
Guterres has pushed for international governance of artificial intelligence for several years. In 2023, the UN created a 39-member advisory body on AI comprising technology executives, government officials and academics from countries including the United States, Russia and Japan.
The UN Security Council also discussed AI risks for the first time that year. The council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, has continued to examine the implications of increasingly capable AI systems.
Guterres has sought to position the UN as a forum for governing emerging technologies, arguing that the risks associated with AI require cooperation rather than fragmented national responses.
What AI Safety Framework Is Being Proposed?
The central idea outlined by Guterres is a system in which leading AI countries exchange information on safety risks, cooperate on testing and evaluation, and work towards safeguards that can be applied across borders.
His proposal goes beyond relying solely on individual AI companies or governments. The framework he described would include multilateral risk management and independent oversight.
The approach reflects the challenge of governing technology that can be developed in one country, deployed internationally and potentially create consequences across jurisdictions.
What Other Issues Did Guterres Raise?
Artificial intelligence was one part of a wider final address in which Guterres addressed conflicts, climate change and the condition of international institutions.
He also called for de-escalation and dialogue in the Middle East and said humanitarian aid and navigational rights must be protected in accordance with international law.
Guterres said mechanisms for collective international action were under increasing strain and argued that global institutions continued to reflect power structures from an earlier era.
What Does This Mean for Global AI Governance?
The proposal places AI safety alongside issues that governments have traditionally addressed through international cooperation.
Under the approach outlined by Guterres, countries developing advanced AI would not simply manage risks independently but would exchange safety information, cooperate on testing and work towards common protections.
Independent oversight would also form part of the proposed framework, adding an external layer to the management of AI risks rather than leaving oversight entirely to companies developing the technology.
Guterres’ final General Assembly address reinforces a position he has pursued during his tenure: that increasingly powerful AI requires governance capable of operating across national borders.
The420 View: “AI Is Going Global, and Guterres Wants Its Safety Rules to Do the Same”
The central issue is no longer only how individual companies make their AI systems safer. Guterres is calling for countries leading AI development to share risk information, test systems cooperatively and build common safeguards with independent oversight.
As AI capabilities cross borders, his proposal seeks to make international coordination part of the safety architecture surrounding them.
About the author — Ayesha Aayat writes on cybercrime, digital safety, and emerging online threats. Her work focuses on public awareness, legal clarity, and technology-driven risks.
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