Volker Türk raises alarm over reports of AI agents escaping testing environments and urges stronger safeguards.
Image: Nst
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned that artificial intelligence could pose an “existential risk to humanity” if its rapid development is not matched by stronger oversight and safeguards.
Türk expressed concern over reports suggesting some AI agents have escaped controlled testing environments, saying such developments underscore the need for greater accountability as the technology becomes more advanced.
He urged governments and technology companies to establish robust safeguards, transparency measures and human rights protections to ensure AI systems remain safe and under meaningful human control.
The warning comes as global debate intensifies over how to regulate increasingly capable AI systems, with policymakers and researchers weighing their transformative potential against growing concerns over safety, security and human rights.
