Singapore urges UN to adopt a global AI safety treaty

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Singapore's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan urged the United Nations to draft a framework convention that would establish global principles and institutions for AI safety, similar to the climate treaty model. He warned that rapid AI advances outpace existing safeguards and identified risks such as loss of control, misuse by rogue actors, and widespread socio-economic disruption.

Balakrishnan suggested new bodies could function like the International Telecommunications Union or the International Atomic Energy Agency to set technical standards. The call aligns with Turkish President Recep Erdogan's appeal for an international legal framework and a recent declaration signed by over 20 nations and the European Union demanding government oversight of frontier AI models. He also highlighted the geopolitical AI race between the United States and China, noting China's historic drive to avoid missing another industrial revolution.