<\/p>\n
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, T\u00fcrk called for urgent global action to ensure powerful AI systems remain under human control and operate within clear legal and ethical boundaries. \u201cAI that escapes its testing environment, or blackmails developers to prevent itself from being turned off, is AI that is too powerful,\u201d T\u00fcrk said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk urged countries involved in AI development and supply chains to work together to establish binding rules, independent oversight and stronger safety standards. \u201cWe need independent verification and much closer cooperation on safety within the sector,\u201d T\u00fcrk said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk warned that growing concentrations of technological power could place unprecedented influence in the hands of a small number of companies and individuals. \u201cA handful of men has almost unlimited power over AI,\u201d T\u00fcrk said, calling for technology that serves humanity rather than undermining jobs, democracy and environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk stressed that human rights should remain the guiding principle for AI development and deployment.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The concerns extend beyond commercial applications. T\u00fcrk expressed alarm about the military use of artificial intelligence, particularly weapons capable of selecting and attacking targets without direct human involvement.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk said reports that fully autonomous drones had allegedly been used in the war in Ukraine highlighted the urgent need for international regulation. \u201cI join calls for the urgent prohibition of weapons that can take lives without human involvement,\u201d T\u00fcrk told the council.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The warning comes as armed conflicts continue to increase globally. According to T\u00fcrk, more than 60 conflicts involving at least one state are currently under way, the highest level since the end of the Second World War.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk also raised concerns about the humanitarian consequences of ongoing conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, renewed hostilities involving the United States and Iran, and the continuing crisis in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On Gaza, T\u00fcrk criticised continued attacks affecting civilians, restrictions on humanitarian aid and plans involving the forced displacement of Palestinians. T\u00fcrk also condemned executions and torture reportedly carried out by armed groups linked to Hamas.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe international community must redouble efforts towards lasting peace, in which Palestine and Israel live side by side with equal dignity and rights,\u201d T\u00fcrk said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk argued that rapid advances in AI, combined with rising global instability, make stronger international cooperation and accountability increasingly urgent.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/Channelafrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":43346,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-44972","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Artificial intelligence (AI) could pose an existential threat to humanity unless governments and technology companies introduce stronger safeguards, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk.","published_date":"","news_description":"Artificial intelligence (AI) could pose an existential threat to humanity unless governments and technology companies introduce stronger safeguards, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/44972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/44972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44974,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/44972\/revisions\/44974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=44972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}