The opening of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly saw artificial intelligence emerge as a central theme. Leaders of the world's major powers warned of risks ranging from autonomous weapons to disinformation, the concentration of technological power in a few hands, and job losses. However, there was little unanimity on the next steps.
US President Donald Trump, in his speech on September 22, rejected attempts to establish international control over artificial intelligence, focusing instead on competition and rapid development. He announced that in US government documents, artificial intelligence will henceforth be called "Super Intelligence," emphasizing that the word "artificial" understates the technology's true significance. "Whoever wins the super intelligence race wins it all," Trump said, adding that the US is currently ahead of China and intends to maintain that lead. He made it clear he would not slow down AI development because "it may be more significant than previous industrial revolutions." At the same time, he noted that the US will monitor the technology through the Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies, ensuring its "safe and responsible" development.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for the development of international legal norms for artificial intelligence. "The time has come to establish a single international legal framework for artificial intelligence," Erdoğan said. He stressed the need to accelerate work on a UN international convention on AI and its implementation. "It is crucial to intensify efforts to develop and implement the United Nations International Convention on Artificial Intelligence," he added.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham highlighted both the opportunities and risks of advanced artificial intelligence. He noted that in the UK, AI is already accelerating cancer diagnosis, could completely transform healthcare, education, and the economy, and become a critical security factor. "AI is also a source that disrupts our way of life and work—a factor that amplifies risks," he warned. "Fundamental decisions regarding this technology are too important to be left to chance," the prime minister said, emphasizing that governments elected by the people must retain responsibility for these choices. He announced that the UK, during its G20 presidency in 2027, will put AI at the center of the agenda and work on creating a "single set of global principles and standards" to ensure transparency, openness, preparedness, and safe development.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned against allowing the US and China, or a small number of tech giants, to dominate decision-making on artificial intelligence. "There are those who try to convince us that all decisions will be made only by two powerful states—the US and China. They want to instill the idea that the entire process will be managed by just a handful of economic players," he said. He called on states to develop their national AI capabilities and establish strict control over AI models, so they do not become dependent on a handful of private companies. Macron also supported international cooperation in AI, including an initiative to jointly create an advanced open-source model accessible to all countries. "On the contrary, we must unite and create a modern model that is open and advanced for all," he said. Macron presented Europe's efforts to introduce rules and principles regulating AI activities as an alternative model.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for stricter regulation of major tech companies and artificial intelligence, warning of an uncontrolled technological race. "Ignoring the issue of regulating big tech and artificial intelligence would be an unforgivable historical negligence," Lula said. He accused a group of "techno-oligarchs" of conducting "races beyond moral limits" and bypassing the UN and its scientific group on AI. Lula also called for increased corporate responsibility, noting that companies aware of the risks of their products are shifting the burden of problems created by algorithms onto families.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb called artificial intelligence a technology that could completely transform science, economy, politics, and security. He stressed that humanity must retain control over the development of this field. "Artificial intelligence is the most impactful technology in human history. At the same time, humans must remain at the steering wheel," Stubb said. According to him, states face a choice regarding AI: "We can compete, cooperate, or slow down." He also emphasized that cooperation is the right path. Stubb said Finland and Norway, together with other countries, have appealed to companies, governments, regional organizations, and the UN to develop mechanisms for controlling the most advanced AI models.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that humanity is "increasingly handing over power to machines" and drew attention to the growing role of artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons in making decisions previously exclusive to humans. According to him, AI is rapidly accumulating power through data, computing power, and algorithms, but humanity is not keeping up with fully understanding the consequences. "The danger is not in the technology itself. The real danger is technology devoid of accountability," Guterres said, calling on governments to take responsibility for managing AI risks. He urged countries with the most advanced AI capabilities to exchange information on emerging security threats, cooperate in testing and evaluating systems, and develop common protective measures. Guterres also called for creating a multilateral system for managing AI risks based on reliable and independent oversight, and said artificial intelligence should be shaped "by humanity, with humanity, and for the benefit of all humanity." The UN chief particularly emphasized the need for strict guarantees regarding child protection and military actions: "Children must never become a testing ground for unregulated systems," he said. He also added that "life-and-death decisions must never be handed over to machines": "Killer robots must have no place in our future," he said.
Source: www.gazeta.uz