UN chief reminds that AI to shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all humanity. It cannot be governed by a handful of countries or a handful of companies.
António Guterres – UN Secretary-General at his address on the opening of ‘World Artificial Intelligence Conference’ in Shanghai on 17 July 2026 emphasized AI could be humanity’s greatest opportunity of the 21st century. This technology to transform the world which becomes a technology to test of the solidarity by reducing the inequalities.
UN Chief thank China with the governance of President Xi JinPing for convening this gathering under a theme built on partnership. The Global Digital Compact was proof that no handful of countries or companies should govern the technology’s future.
He emphasized AI can help usher in a quantum leap across the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, it needs every nation needs a seat at the table. It won’t happen if historical injustices of the past are repeated. The fact shows one-third of humanity is still offline. He emphasizes we cannot let it happen.
To support the proceeding of AI initiative — United Nations has supported global network for exchange and cooperation on AI capacity building at the service of developing countries. The following recommendations will be for a global fund. To get these launched successfully, he asks for full support to both initiatives that is running in equal inclusion humanity platform to accelerate medical breakthroughs, transform education, strengthen food systems and agricultural productivity, spur new industries and create decent jobs.
The fact shows computing power, data resources and technical expertise remain concentrated with hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment flood into artificial intelligence – while many developing countries received just a trickle. This means AI risks pushing the world towards even greater inequalities. It potentially creates greater divides in income, in opportunity, in security and greater gaps between North and South.
In fact, developing countries currently shows bringing enormous assets to this age of AI, talents, ideas, young dynamic populations. Consequently, every country should be able to shape this technology to its own needs in its own skills, its own data, in its own languages.
To achieve this purpose UN chief calls for governance anchored in international law that translates systems to cross borders. It needs common approaches to testing, risk assessment, and responsibility – that is inclusive, networked, and anchored in international law.
Human rights must be protected. Humans must keep control over every life-and-death decision. He strongly reminds that no AI system should be put in a child’s hands before it has been proven safe.
Finally, UN Chief calls for the importance of AI companies to come clean on their environmental impact which means AI to help speed the energy transition – managing grids, integrating renewables, cutting waste. Consequently, the growing demands for energy, water and land must be brought into the open and specially call on every major AI company to disclose the full environmental footprint of their systems – and power them with renewables by 2030.
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AI: “Technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all humanity” – UN Chief
