Global Leaders Urge Controls on AI to Prevent 'Runaway' Technology

World leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have issued a joint statement calling for global controls on artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure it remains "under human control". The statement, signed by 22 countries, warns that the rapid development of AI poses a risk to "safety and security" and that efforts to regulate it are failing.

The declaration, which was first flagged by Mr Albanese on Saturday, urges industry, governments, and society to act now to realise AI's potential while ensuring it is developed and used in line with international law. "The rapid development of frontier AI models poses serious risks to safety and security if not appropriately managed," the statement reads.

The coalition of middle powers, including Australia, Finland, Norway, Canada, Singapore, and the European Commission, is calling on AI companies to develop transparent safety protocols and governments to develop and coordinate common standards. They also suggest the UN consider creating an international institution to convene states when capability thresholds are crossed.

In a speech at the UN headquarters on Monday, Mr Albanese will say middle powers need to step up and play a stronger role in maintaining international rules, especially in the face of challenges such as the war in the Middle East, the ongoing land war in Europe, and the rise of AI. "The war in the Middle East, an ongoing land war in Europe, the global inflation crisis, the fuel crisis and the rise of AI are incredibly serious challenges," he will tell the Partners For Multilateralism, International Law, Peace And Prosperity forum.

Mr Albanese wants the US and China to cooperate and strike a deal similar to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, signed in 1970 to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. "The truth is they're the big two giants here, and so we want to see cooperation," he told Insiders on Sunday. "President Trump, of course, will act in the interests of the United States. But there's a need for all of us to act in the interests of humanity."

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that America and China would establish an alert system to communicate "national security" level AI incidents. "Whether there are incidents, whether there has been something that rises up to a national security level," Mr Bessent said.

Elon Musk, Dario Amodei, and Sam Altman have all backed calls for the pacing of AI development to be slowed down. However, US President Donald Trump has rejected fears that AI poses an existential threat, viewing them as a hoax.