Published on: 2026-09-14
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 14, 2026 Human Rights
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Monday called on states and companies to urgently take measures so that effective regulation of artificial intelligence does not lag behind the rapid pace of technology development and its unprecedented risks.
“We are on the threshold of irreversible changes that will affect not only us but future generations,” the letter addressed to governments and developers says.
Existential risks
“The current race related to the creation of increasingly powerful AI systems represents a qualitative leap toward increasing existential risks for all aspects of our lives. Failures in autonomous AI systems, not to mention systems intentionally designed for such purposes, could lead to the disruption of vital services, communication breakdowns, destabilization of critical infrastructure, and strike at the very foundations of democratic institutions,” Tuerk wrote.
According to him, people may lose access to clean water, heating, and financial services, while autonomous AI is already accelerating the pace and expanding the scale of wars, weakening the safeguards that prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction.
The High Commissioner emphasized that there is little time left to ensure the regulation of artificial intelligence, and noted that the future will largely depend on the conscious decisions being made now regarding how AI is developed, used, and regulated.
“The harm caused by AI is not hypothetical; it is already being felt and happening right now,” Türk added. “Core services are being automated in such a way that people who are already on the margins of society find themselves even further behind. The growing demand for data and the emergence of powerful surveillance tools undermine the right to privacy on a scale that could potentially have irreversible consequences. Disinformation campaigns using AI already distort public discourse, undermine social cohesion, and in new, often covert ways, weaken democratic institutions.”
Responsibility for the consequences
The High Commissioner stated that companies at the forefront of AI system development bear responsibility for the immediate reduction of risks.
“It is necessary to develop reliable human rights inspection procedures based on agreed security standards, implement them throughout the sector, and continuously improve them. Compliance with these standards should be subject to independent internal control, possessing the necessary autonomy to increase transparency and accountability,” he wrote.
The UN’s chief human rights officer also emphasized that the countries where leading AI development companies are located bear a special responsibility to demand proper conduct from these companies and hold them accountable in case of non-compliance. He called on states to ensure independent and technically competent assessments of the capabilities of autonomous AI systems, providing access to models, documentation, and testing environments, as well as making human rights impact assessments mandatory.
Tyurk called for urgent mobilization of efforts on multilateral platforms to develop practical steps based on international human rights standards.
“No country can regulate this technology on its own. No company should have the power to unilaterally decide what risks the world must accept. No person should be forced to give up their rights in exchange for promises of technological progress,” he said.
“The generation that is now entering adulthood will face the consequences of decisions made on this issue without having the opportunity to participate in their coordination. We owe it to this generation to ensure that such decisions are made openly, taking into account their rights and with the caution required by the scale of the task,” emphasized the High Commissioner.
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