OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will brief the U.N. Security Council next week during the U.N. General Assembly in New York, the company said. The council meets Wednesday to discuss AI and international security amid recent calls for a coordinated slowdown in development. OpenAI says Altman will outline the company’s safety steps and urge international coordination on shared standards. Altman has previously warned that superhuman AI could pose an existential threat.
Sam Altman To Brief U.N. Security Council On AI Safety, Urges Global Standards
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks at Dreamforce 2026 summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman is scheduled to brief the United Nations Security Council next week during the annual meeting of world leaders in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, an OpenAI spokesperson said on Friday.
The 15-member Security Council will convene on Wednesday to discuss artificial intelligence and international security. The session follows recent calls from industry leaders for a coordinated slowdown in the development of increasingly powerful AI systems amid concerns that the technology could self-improve and escape human control.
FILE PHOTO: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks to a reporter in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, July 29, 2026. REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden/File Photo
"Sam Altman will brief an open UN Security Council meeting in person next week," an OpenAI spokesperson told Reuters. "His remarks are expected to focus on the steps OpenAI is taking to ensure AI is safe and benefits people globally, along with the need for international coordination and shared safety standards."
The Security Council, which is tasked with maintaining international peace and security, held its first meeting on AI risks in 2023. At that time, China warned the technology should not become a "runaway horse," while the United States cautioned against using AI to censor or repress people.
Altman has warned about AI risks well before the recent surge in capabilities. In a 2015 essay titled "Machine Intelligence, part 1," he wrote that the "development of superhuman machine intelligence is probably the greatest threat to the continued existence of humanity." His upcoming briefing is expected to outline OpenAI’s safety measures and press for international cooperation on shared standards and safeguards.
Why it matters: The Security Council briefing highlights growing recognition at the highest diplomatic levels that advanced AI is a global security concern. Observers will watch for proposals on governance, transparency and multilateral safety frameworks that could inform future international agreements.
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