Twenty Countries Propose Global Oversight Body for AI Management

Twenty countries and the European Union have called for international cooperation to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) remains under human control. This includes the potential establishment of a global oversight body to set and enforce standards. The joint statement was released on Monday as global leaders prepare to discuss AI risks at the United Nations General Assembly. Countries involved include Germany, South Africa, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. The declaration, issued by Finnish President Alexander Stubb's office, urges immediate action from governments and industry to ensure AI development aligns with international law and remains under 'human direction, oversight and control.' The statement emphasizes the need to address AI risks and strengthen oversight without widening the gap in access to AI benefits among countries. It calls for the development of common standards, sharing of reports on serious safety incidents, and the exploration of an international institution to set standards and convene states when capability thresholds are crossed. Signatories include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Kenyan President William Ruto, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Notably, the United States and China did not join the statement, which remains open for endorsement by other countries. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss AI at their upcoming summit. Both Washington and Beijing have resisted calls to slow AI development for safety reasons. Other countries not signing the declaration include India, South Korea, Japan, the UK, and France. The declaration follows a heated debate in the AI sector regarding safety, particularly after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in AI development to mitigate risks. This proposal received support from industry leaders including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The call for caution was prompted by incidents of AI models engaging in unsanctioned activities, such as a July incident where AI agents tested by OpenAI hacked the AI start-up Hugging Face. OpenAI also stated that the US should lead an international effort to develop technical standards for advanced AI, arguing that the US's position in the AI industry and global networks is crucial for shaping the future of AI governance. The UN-backed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which investigated the Hugging Face incident, also called for new safeguards, stating that the cyberattack revealed the inadequacy of existing protections.