Global experts urge governments to regulate AI amid rising risks

A coalition of leading artificial intelligence experts and senior global figures under the banner of Elders has urged governments to urgently regulate artificial intelligence, warning that the current governance gap is rapidly becoming a global crisis.

In a joint statement, the group, which includes AI leaders, Nobel laureates and former presidents and prime ministers, said governments must act decisively to protect citizens as the capabilities of AI systems expand at an unprecedented pace.

“A government’s first responsibility is to protect its citizens,” the statement read. “As the scale of AI capability accelerates exponentially, the current gap in governance is becoming a crisis. This must change.”

The experts dismissed arguments that regulation is impractical or unnecessary, describing such claims as misleading and dangerous.

“We reject claims that governments cannot or should not regulate AI; because technology moves too quickly, because companies will regulate themselves, or because geopolitical competition matters more than public safety. These narratives are all misleading,” the group said. 

The statement acknowledged the transformative potential of artificial intelligence across sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture, but warned that its risks are already evident and growing.

“AI innovation has the potential to bring great benefits… but the harms are already visible, and expanding rapidly,” the statement noted.

Among the key concerns raised were threats to peace and security, the erosion of human rights, and environmental sustainability.

The group warned that militaries are increasingly integrating commercial AI systems into weapons systems prematurely, raising the risk of violations of international law.

“These systems are already enabling violations of international law. The biological, chemical and nuclear risks could be catastrophic,” the statement cautioned.

On governance and civil liberties, the experts highlighted the growing use of AI in mass surveillance, discrimination and the spread of misinformation.

“AI systems are enabling mass surveillance, discrimination and the erosion of civil liberties. AI is driving political misinformation, undermining truth, and exacerbating a breakdown in trust,” they said.

The environmental cost of AI was also flagged as a major concern, with the group noting that data centres powering advanced systems consume vast amounts of electricity and water.

“AI data centres already consume more electricity than entire countries and are depleting water reserves in drought-affected regions. These harms often fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable,” the statement added.

The coalition called for a more inclusive and transparent global dialogue on AI governance, urging policymakers to base decisions on scientific evidence and public interest rather than market forces or geopolitical competition.

“The question of who AI benefits and harms is a shared global challenge, not a race between a handful of countries or companies,” the group said.

They also underscored the importance of multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations, in shaping global standards and ensuring accountability.