UN chief calls for global interoperability to mitigate AI fragmentation risks

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday highlighted the urgent need for global standards and interoperability in artificial intelligence, warning that fragmentation could undermine the benefits of AI if countries and regions adopt incompatible policies. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Guterres cautioned that rising technological rivalry is making international cooperation increasingly difficult.

“Without a common baseline, fragmentation wins, with different regions and different countries operating under incompatible policies and technical standards,” he said, urging nations to align on testing systems and measuring risks to create a framework for interoperability. “So a startup in New Delhi can scale globally with confidence because the benchmarks are shared and safety can travel with technology,” he added.

The UN chief stressed the importance of science-led AI guardrails to both protect people and accelerate innovation. “Once we understand what AI systems can do and what they cannot, we can move from rough measures to smarter, risk-based guardrails — guardrails that protect people, uphold human rights, and preserve human agency,” he said.

Guterres also highlighted that well-designed AI governance could build confidence for businesses and accelerate innovation, rather than hinder it. “Science-led governance is not a brake on progress. It is an accelerator for solutions. It helps us identify where AI can do the most good and the fastest, and it helps us anticipate early impacts from risks — from children to labor markets to manipulation at scale — so countries can prepare, protect, and invest in people,” he explained.

He warned that AI innovation is currently outpacing society’s ability to fully understand or govern it. “If we want AI to serve humanity, policy cannot be built on guesswork, hype, or disinformation. We need facts we can trust and share across countries and sectors,” he said.

Emphasising equitable access to AI, Guterres proposed the creation of a Global Fund on AI to ensure that all countries can participate in the AI revolution. The fund would focus on building skills, providing access to data and affordable computing power, and fostering inclusive AI ecosystems worldwide.

The summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to discuss the global implications of AI, with Guterres’s remarks underscoring the need for cooperation, shared standards, and proactive governance to maximise AI’s benefits while mitigating its risks.

With IANS inputs