UN rights chief warns advanced AI could pose existential risk to humanity

The United Nations human rights chief has warned that advanced artificial intelligence could pose an existential risk to humanity. Volker Turk made the remarks in Geneva in an address to the Human Rights Council, where he also condemned Russia's reported use of autonomous drones. He urged stronger safeguards for AI systems and said protections were needed before it was too late.

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Turk said he shared the concerns of industry insiders about the scale of the threat. He called for "cast-iron guarantees" to secure AI and said his office would press technology firms to reduce risks linked to services, communications and democratic systems. A spokesperson for his office said failures involving powerful AI systems could disrupt critical infrastructure and democratic institutions.

The warning came as Turk began his second term as UN high commissioner for human rights, after winning a four-year mandate in July. It was his first address to the 47-member council since that vote, which came amid opposition from Moscow and Washington. In the same speech, he also demanded accountability over the 23 deaths in US immigration custody and criticised Russia's reported deployment of autonomous drones.

The intervention adds to a growing international debate over how to regulate rapidly advancing AI and autonomous weapons. Turk did not spell out the exact scenarios behind his warning, but his office pointed to recent concerns about so-called agent-training behaviour and the speed at which frontier AI capabilities are developing. The remarks also reflect wider concern that a small number of technology leaders hold significant influence over systems that could affect public services and democratic processes.

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The Human Rights Council is due to meet again in October to discuss Iran's war, Sudan's civil conflict and other crises. That means the AI warning is likely to remain part of a broader discussion about security, rights and accountability in the months ahead. It is not yet clear what concrete measures, if any, will follow Turk's call for stronger guarantees, or how member states and technology companies will respond.

For now, the main question is whether governments can agree on rules that keep pace with the technology's development. Turk's remarks suggest the UN rights office sees AI not only as a policy issue, but as a potential threat to rights, institutions and public safety. The next test will be whether those warnings translate into enforceable safeguards at the international level.

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