Twenty countries and the European Union have called for a coordinated international effort to ensure that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology does not spiral out of human control. They have also proposed exploring the creation of a global body to establish international standards for AI usage and oversee their implementation.
According to the Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera, the joint statement was released on Monday as world leaders prepared to discuss the rapid advancement of AI and its potential risks at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The statement was issued by the office of Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
The statement emphasizes that AI technology must be developed in accordance with international law. It also stresses the necessity of maintaining human guidance, oversight, and control over AI.
To this end, the signatories called for the formulation and coordination of common standards across nations, the sharing of information regarding major AI safety incidents, and an exploration of the feasibility of establishing an international institution.
The proposed global body could set and verify necessary standards should AI capabilities exceed certain thresholds. The statement notes that such an institution could also facilitate dialogue and coordination among nations regarding AI.
Countries including Germany, South Africa, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore signed the joint statement. However, the world’s two leading AI powers—the United States and China—did not sign. India, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France are also absent from the list of signatories. Nevertheless, the statement leaves the door open for other countries to sign at a later date.
Meanwhile, the issue of AI safety and regulation has also taken center stage within the technology sector. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has called for slowing the pace of AI development. His proposal has garnered support from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the heads of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk.
On Monday, OpenAI also urged the United States to take the lead in establishing international technical standards for advanced AI technology. According to the organization, the United States has the opportunity to play a pivotal role in establishing a global framework for governing AI technology.
On the same day, a UN-backed independent international scientific panel on AI also urged for the strengthening of security measures. The panel noted that the cyberattack on the AI startup Hugging Face in July—carried out using an AI agent being tested by OpenAI—exposed vulnerabilities in current security systems.
