He warned that without international cooperation, technology could increase global inequality rather than advance sustainable development.
At the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Mr. Guterres described AI as ““Humanity’s greatest opportunity of the 21st century,” but warned that it could also become “one of its greatest risks.”
“Technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all of humanity,” he said, emphasizing that AI governance “cannot be governed by a handful of countries or companies” and that “Every nation needs a seat at the table“.
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Progress is still pending
The United Nations stepped up its work on AI governance last year after adopting the Global Digital Compact and establishing the UN General Assembly-backed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI – the first global scientific body on this revolutionary technology.
The first session of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance took place earlier this month in Geneva, where governments and stakeholders came together to hold open, transparent and inclusive discussions on artificial intelligence governance.
These latest initiatives aim to help countries share expertise, promote common standards and ensure developing countries have a stronger voice in shaping the future of technology.
said Mr. Guterres The next phase must focus on translating these commitments into practical support so that all countries can benefit from the rapid development of AI.
Closing the gap
The Secretary-General said AI has enormous potential to accelerate medical breakthroughs, transform education, strengthen food systems and create jobs, helping to drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
But he warned that many developing countries remain at risk of falling behind.
“A third of humanity is still offline,“He noted that computing power, technical expertise and investment remain heavily concentrated in a small number of countries and companies.
If these disparities are not eliminated, AI could lead to “greater inequalities, greater disparities in income, opportunity and security.”
To address these gaps, Mr. Guterres said more than 20 countries, including China, have already nominated centers for a United Nations-backed global network for exchanges and cooperation in building AI capacity.
He also announced that he would soon present recommendations for a Global Fund for AI and called on governments to support both initiatives.
Three priorities
The Secretary General outlined three priorities to ensure that AI benefits everyone: expand capacity in developing countries, establish international safety standards and make AI more environmentally sustainable.
He said developing countries should have the tools to build AI systems using their own data, languages and expertise, while governments should adopt common approaches to testing and risk management based on international law.
“Human rights must be protected,” the UN chief said. “Man must remain in control of every life and death decision.” He also stressed that “no AI system should be placed in the hands of a child until it has been proven safe.”
On sustainability, Mr. Guterres called on major AI companies to disclose the environmental footprint of their systems and power their operations with renewable energy by 2030, and urged governments to integrate clean energy for AI into national plans.
“The key question is whether this transformation will reduce or increase inequalities.“,” he said. “Whether it’s concentrating power or expanding opportunities.”
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1167965
