Sam Altman to brief UN Security Council on AI and global security

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to brief the United Nations Security Council next week on artificial intelligence and its implications for international security.

The 15-member Security Council is scheduled to hold an open meeting on AI and international security on Wednesday during the UN General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders in New York.

“Sam Altman will brief an open UN Security Council meeting in person next week,” an OpenAI spokesperson told Reuters.

According to the spokesperson, Altman is expected to discuss the need for international coordination and shared safety standards, as well as measures OpenAI is taking to ensure the benefits of AI reach people globally.

Diplomats told Reuters that Anthropic could also have a high-level presence at the meeting, although its participation has not been confirmed.

France, which holds the Security Council presidency for September, has convened the meeting. French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot will chair the session.

A concept note circulated by France said the meeting would focus on the risks of AI being misused for malicious purposes and the need for safe and responsible development. It also raised concerns about the potential loss of control over advanced AI models and their use in developing or facilitating activities that could affect international peace and security.

The Security Council first held a meeting on AI risks in 2023. China warned at the time that AI should not become a “runaway horse”, while the US raised concerns about its potential use for censorship or repression.

Altman has previously warned about risks from advanced AI. In a 2015 essay, he described the development of superhuman machine intelligence as potentially posing a major threat to humanity.

The upcoming meeting comes as AI companies and researchers face growing calls for stronger international safeguards for increasingly powerful AI systems.