The UN sounds the alarm: Guterres demands immediate global regulation of AI and a ban on "killer robots"
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a series of stark warnings and concrete proposals at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. In his view, the world is already facing an "experiment on societies without a plan and without consent," and the current pace of technological adoption requires an immediate reassessment of regulatory approaches.
The key thesis of his speech: the speed of AI adoption is unprecedented. While it took the internet 15 years to attract its first billion users, ChatGPT reached 100 million in just two months. Moreover, modern systems no longer merely respond to commands—they write code, act autonomously, and make decisions with minimal human involvement. Guterres emphasized: "Our institutions were designed to manage machines that follow commands. They are not ready for machines that make decisions."
"Vibe Coding" and Child Protection
The Secretary-General paid special attention to the protection of minors. He called on all AI companies to adopt the AI Child Safety Pledge—a commitment to the safety of systems accessible to children. The initiative is based on three principles: mandatory testing and independent oversight before launch, zero tolerance for the generation of sexualized material, and the immediate connection of real human support when a child is identified as being in crisis. "No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI," Guterres stated.
As a metaphor for passive management, he used the term "vibe coding"—allowing a system to operate without understanding its mechanisms and consequences. "We cannot vibe-code the truth. We cannot vibe-code the future of humanity," he concluded.
Ban on Lethal Autonomous Systems
A separate segment of the speech addressed the military use of AI. Guterres called for an international legal ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems—machines capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention. He directly referred to them as "killer robots," emphasizing that such systems are "morally repugnant" and "politically unacceptable." According to him, states should not wait for a tragedy to take action.
Global Fund and Transparency
To bridge the digital divide, the Secretary-General announced the creation of a global network for sharing AI expertise and recommended establishing a dedicated fund. He also noted that data centers already consume more electricity than most countries, and by 2030, they could surpass all but five nations in energy consumption. "If AI is to be powerful, it must be governed. If AI is to be trusted, those who create it must be held accountable," Guterres concluded.
My analysis: The UN initiatives are an important signal, but without concrete enforcement mechanisms, they risk remaining mere declarations. The real battle for AI regulation will unfold at the national level, where the interests of major technology corporations and states often conflict with the global agenda.