16:00 02-12-2025

UNDP Warns Military AI Could Become an Existential Threat

RusPhotoBank

UNDP warns that military AI poses an existential threat and could cause mass casualties, urging strict global oversight as risks grow across technological sectors.

Philip Schellekens, Chief Economist of the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau, warned that the military use of artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat and lead to large-scale loss of life. He stressed that regulating such technologies requires the highest level of responsibility.

On Tuesday, UNDP released a new report outlining the risks of AI and its potential to deepen inequality between countries. The document also examines the role of AI in weapons development and its military applications, emphasizing the need for strict oversight.

Schellekens noted that AI has become a central topic of global debate. He said that on one hand, artificial intelligence can help humanity tackle existential challenges such as climate change and accelerate medical research during pandemics. At the same time, he pointed out the existence of a «dark side,» where AI itself may become an existential threat and a destructive force. The military use of AI, he added, is one of the most concerning areas, as it could result in mass casualties.

He underscored the need for responsible governance of AI systems.

Earlier in January, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also described uncontrolled artificial intelligence as an existential threat on par with climate change and nuclear weapons.

In late November, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that human rights violations may increase due to the growing adoption of generative AI technologies, which, in his words, risk becoming a «modern-day Frankenstein.»