Sam Altman to Brief UN Security Council on AI Risks and Safety
Synopsis
Sam Altman will brief the UN Security Council on September 23 as governments examine AI safety, regulation and international security.
The UN Security Council briefing from Sam Altman comes at a propitious time for Australia, which is set to unveil new AI safeguards. Altman will deliver the address at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, September 23 to the council.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will personally brief the 15-member UN Security Council on AI and global security in person. The meeting will be chaired by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who convened the meeting.
In his UN Security Council briefing on AI, international coordination and shared safety standards and measures in the development of advanced AI systems will be discussed. Other AI firms will also be in attendance, but it was not known at the time of the announcement whether Anthropic will be in attendance.
AI Risks Enter Another UN Security Discussion
The UN Security Council AI meeting follows on the heels of the first-ever UN Security Council meeting devoted to AI in 2023. The concept note of the meeting in September, prepared by France, includes potential malicious uses of AI and the prospect of losing control over increasingly sophisticated systems as issues of concern for international peace and security.
The UN speech of Sam Altman coincides with a renewed debate about the pace at which companies are developing AI models. Earlier on Monday, anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called on companies to slow the pace of new and increasingly capable models, and proposed enhanced coordination on safety measures.
The debate also coincides with divergent approaches by governments on regulating AI. The European Union has adopted the AI Act, and the United States and China are also taking steps to regulate and create policies around AI.
The briefing thus introduces industry to a forum that is dedicated to international peace and security.
Australia Builds Its Own AI Safety Framework
Australia already has a voluntary AI safety standard with 10 guardrails including in areas of accountability, risk management, testing, data governance and human oversight. The framework covers the AI supply chain and focuses on organisations creating or using AI in Australia.
The federal government also announced in July plans for Australian AI standards for large data centres, including new power supply, grid connection and water efficiency standards. The government said the standards would be based on existing standards for data centres.
The AI Safety Institute is also testing new AI models and applications, assessing risks and helping government agencies with emerging harms caused by AI. In addition, it works on international cooperation on AI measurement and safety.
AI Spending Adds Financial Context
The OpenAI AI safety UN discussion takes place as spending on artificial intelligence continues to rise. Gartner's latest forecast for global spending on AI in 2026 is $2.67 trillion, up 49.5% from 2025, and roughly 58% of that will be for AI infrastructure.
OpenAI has expanded its monetary base as well. In March, the company announced that it had committed $122 billion of capital at a price tag of $852 billion post-money.
Meanwhile, as governments, regulators and artificial intelligence firms debate safety protocols, international coordination and the security ramifications of growingly powerful AI, the briefing of Sam Altman to the UN Security Council will take place.
Source: Reuters
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
