World leaders push for stronger international AI safeguards at UN General Assembly

# What happened World leaders used the general debate at the United Nations General Assembly (81st session) to place artificial intelligence squarely on the international agenda. Delegations voiced differing views on how to manage AI's risks while preserving innovation and competition.

# Main positions described UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for stronger global coordination and proposed work toward a multilateral AI Risk Management Framework supported by independent oversight. He framed the problem as technology without accountability and urged transparency, dialogue and trust among countries that lead in AI development.

U.S. President Donald Trump described AI as "super intelligence" and said the United States "totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme" to control AI. He said the U.S. will encourage AI rather than "rein it in," while watching the technology closely to preserve U.S. leadership and seek safe, responsible progress.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized concentration of technological power in a handful of companies, calling it a "race with no ethical boundaries" and urging regulation of big tech and AI. He said bypassing the UN and its Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence would be an "unforgivable historical omission."

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung highlighted distributional risks: the AI revolution could boost prosperity and development, yet deepen inequality unless countries prepare. He proposed establishing a global AI hub in South Korea to link international organizations, multilateral development banks, industry and academia. The hub's goal is to use AI to address shared challenges such as climate change, health and food security.

# Where this goes next

# Why this matters

# Concrete implications for stakeholders

• Governments: expect proposals for multilateral frameworks and independent oversight to gain momentum, alongside national investments in computing and model-auditing capabilities.
• Industry: increased scrutiny and pressure to support transparency and audit tools, plus potential new international rules for sensitive use cases.
• Developing countries and multilateral banks: opportunities and pressure to participate in hubs and capacity-building efforts aimed at distributing AI benefits.

# Closing snapshot The UN general debate made clear that AI is now a central diplomatic issue. Leaders' statements show both convergence on the need for safeguards and divergence on how to organize control—through multilateral frameworks, regional capacity-building, national leadership, or market-driven approaches. The Security Council discussion that follows will focus attention on AI's security implications.