Antonio Guterres urges AI regulation and peace in final UN address

António Guterres delivered his final address as Secretary-General of the United Nations on September 22, 2026, during the opening of the 81st UN General Assembly session. He called for robust global AI regulation built around a multilateral risk management framework with independent oversight, emphasized ending ongoing conflicts and restoring humanitarian access, pushed for financial accountability from polluters on climate, and called the Security Council’s design “unjust and indefensible” due to its lack of permanent African representation. He received a standing ovation from delegates. A multilateral framework for AI, not a free-for-all The centerpiece of Guterres’ speech was his call for robust global AI regulation built around a multilateral risk management framework with independent oversight. Guterres has been a staunch advocate for implementing safeguards around artificial intelligence since taking office, increasingly vocal about potential existential risks including lethal autonomous weapons systems and the invalidation of human oversight in critical decision-making. His advocacy reached a critical point following the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance held in July...