Burnham Calls for Global Unity on AI Safety at UN General Assembly

Prime Minister Andy Burnham implored world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to unite in establishing global regulations for artificial intelligence, warning that the technology could pose an existential threat to humanity if left unchecked.

Burnham asserted that the future of artificial intelligence is "too important" to be left solely to the private sector, advocating for a consensus among nations on common rules. This stance positions him in contrast to figures like former President Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism regarding AI regulation.

The Prime Minister's call follows a series of urgent warnings from prominent figures in the tech industry. An alignment head at Anthropic recently stated there is a 10 percent chance AI could lead to the extinction of humans within the next decade. OpenAI chief Sam Altman is also slated to address the UN on the matter.

President Trump, however, has previously dismissed concerns about AI's potential to cause harm as a "hoax" tactics aimed at hindering American companies in the race for "super intelligence."

Addressing the assembly in New York, Burnham emphasized the transformative potential of AI for the economy and in areas like disease eradication, provided it is properly regulated to serve human interests. "We know that AI will also be a source of disruption to the way we live and work – and a multiplier of risk," he stated. "We've all heard the warnings, which we must heed. I know how worried people are. So we have to rise to this moment."

He stressed that fundamental decisions regarding AI must be made by elected governments, not solely by chance, and called for support mechanisms to ensure AI development benefits working people and drives reindustrialization and opportunity.

Burnham also highlighted the need for robust security measures, referencing an incident where the UK's AI Security Institute was denied access to a new AI program. He announced plans for a new National Centre for Information Defence to counter disinformation campaigns by hostile states.

Britain, he stated, is positioned as an "honest broker" and intends to lead on regulating "frontier AI." The UK possesses significant talent in tech and AI, complemented by its world-leading AI Security Institute, which collaborates with U.S. counterparts and leading AI labs on safety. "But we need to go further," Burnham added.

Drawing a parallel to the global financial crisis, the Prime Minister called for a similar united approach. "That is the kind of approach we need now," he said. "So we will bring the right people together on the key issues: delivering on the potential of AI for good, and dealing with the risks. And we will work towards agreeing a single set of global principles and standards to ensure the transparency and access we need to increase our preparedness – and to ensure that AI development is safe."