NEW YORK, NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Khalilur Rahman, president of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, called for a faster global response to artificial intelligence. Speaking at the opening of the General Debate, he said the UN risks falling behind rapid technological change. Rahman urged governments to build reliable safeguards based on scientific evidence. He also said AI policy should leave room for innovation. His remarks placed artificial intelligence among the major issues confronting the international system.
Rahman said governments must remain at the center of international AI governance. However, he noted that expertise also sits with researchers, businesses, innovators and civil society. He called for broader engagement with people and organizations that develop and deploy artificial intelligence. Their technical knowledge can support discussions among governments, he said. The appeal reflected the expanding role of AI across public services, commercial systems and national infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence already operates within electricity networks, water systems, health records, economies and military systems, Rahman said. He warned against an international race to control the technology. Instead, he called for practical guardrails that can address risks while supporting useful applications. Rahman said those safeguards should draw on credible scientific knowledge. His comments came as governments continue building international structures to examine AI risks, opportunities and governance.
UN builds new framework for AI governance
The United Nations has expanded its formal work on artificial intelligence during the past year. The General Assembly created the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. The dialogue held its first session in Geneva on July 6 and 7, 2026. Governments, experts and other stakeholders used the meeting to discuss international AI policy. The scientific panel brings together 40 members who assess AI opportunities, risks and broader impacts.
Rahman had also addressed AI governance before the General Debate opened in New York. On September 10, he discussed how governments and other stakeholders should manage technologies already changing societies. He later met International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin on September 20. Their talks covered cooperation on artificial intelligence governance and advanced AI challenges. They also discussed continued engagement with industry as international work on AI develops.
Technology debate joins wider UN reform discussion
Rahman linked artificial intelligence to a wider debate about how the United Nations responds to fast-moving global challenges. He said member states and the UN Secretariat remain essential to that work. At the same time, he argued that outside expertise has become important in highly technical fields. Researchers, companies and civil society groups can contribute specialized knowledge to policy discussions. The remarks came during the General Assembly’s annual high-level meetings in New York.
The General Debate of the 81st session began on September 22 and continues through September 26 before concluding on September 28. Rahman said the UN has faced major technological and security questions before, including nuclear proliferation and human cloning. He also cited international action to protect the ozone layer. On artificial intelligence, he called for government leadership supported by science and technical expertise. His message centered on keeping international governance relevant as AI becomes more widely used across societies and critical systems.