The UN Secretary-General issued a stark warning: artificial intelligence has spiraled out of control, and existing governance institutions are unprepared for this. He called for the immediate introduction of global rules for advanced AI systems, highlighting the need to protect children and ban autonomous lethal weapons.

"AI is developing at an uncontrollable speed," the UN chief stated, calling the situation "an experiment on societies without a plan and without consent." In his assessment, while it took the internet 15 years to attract a billion users, AI achieved this in just two years. ChatGPT, in turn, gained 100 million users in only two months — an unprecedented pace.

The key problem, according to the expert, is that modern systems no longer simply execute commands — they write code, make decisions, and operate online with minimal human oversight. "Our institutions were designed to manage machines that follow commands. They are not prepared for machines that make decisions," he emphasized.

"Vibe Coding" as a Threat to the Future

Special emphasis was placed on the metaphor of "vibe coding" — a passive approach where the system operates without understanding the mechanisms and consequences. "We cannot vibe-code the truth. We cannot vibe-code the future of humanity," Guterres stated, offering countries a choice between conscious governance and passive drift.

Child Protection: Three Principles

One of the top priorities is protecting children from unregulated AI. Three key principles were proposed:

  1. A ban on launching AI systems accessible to children without special testing and independent oversight.
  2. Zero tolerance for generating sexualized images of minors — with mandatory detection, removal, and reporting of such materials.
  3. Inadmissibility of leaving a child in crisis alone with a chatbot: when signs of a severe condition are detected, the system must stop and connect real human support.
"No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI," the UN chief concluded.

Ban on "Killer Robots"

The military application of AI also took center stage. Guterres called for international law to ban lethal autonomous weapons systems — machines capable of selecting and engaging targets without human control. "Let's call them what they are: killer robots," he stated, describing such systems as "morally repugnant" and "politically unacceptable."

Digital Divide and Energy Consumption

The issue of digital inequality was also raised separately. The UN chief announced recommendations for creating a global AI fund to help developing countries gain access to high-performance computing, open data, and models. 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.

My comment: The UN's calls are a signal that cannot be ignored, but the reality is that global AI regulation faces enormous political and economic obstacles. While leading powers debate standards, the technology continues to accelerate, and every day of delay increases risks, especially for the most vulnerable populations. The cryptocurrency and blockchain market, in turn, could become a testing ground for decentralized AI governance models, but this will require a completely different level of coordination.