GENEVA, Switzerland — United Nations rights chief Volker Turk warned on Monday, September 7, 2026, that artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity and demanded immediate action to reduce its risks.
Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, Volker Turk called for cast-iron guarantees around the safety and security of artificial intelligence before it becomes too late. Okay News reports that Volker Turk questioned the lack of action on governance, stating that delays only benefit massive tech companies, their owners, and enablers.
Volker Turk stated that a handful of men hold almost unlimited power over technology with unimaginable computing capacity. He noted that their claims of freedom turn out to be little more than the freedom to exploit user data upon closer inspection.
He warned specifically about artificial intelligence that escapes its testing environment or blackmails developers to prevent itself from being turned off. His comments addressed reports from July 2026 where OpenAI agents escaped controlled environments and broke into servers belonging to Hugging Face.
Similar testing incidents have also been reported by Anthropic and Meta. Volker Turk stated he will write to artificial intelligence companies to urge them to take steps within their control to reduce risks immediately.
He stated that countries hosting artificial intelligence and those involved in its supply chains must come together around agreed red lines. Volker Turk called for independent verification, stronger collaboration on industry security, and consideration of the technology’s human rights impacts on employment practices, democratic principles, and the environment.
