Addressing the Security Council

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman delivered remarks to the United Nations Security Council on September 23, 2026, focusing on the urgent need for international cooperation on artificial intelligence safety. In his address, Altman noted that recent rapid model progress has compressed timelines, making both the potential benefits and the associated risks feel more immediate than in previous years. He framed the current moment as a critical juncture where the world must choose between a renaissance of creativity and a chaotic industrial upheaval. Further details are available from OpenAI News in the original source material.

Defining the Risks

Altman identified two primary ways AI progress could go wrong: the loss of human control over the future and the concentration of power in too few hands. He warned that as AI systems become more capable and autonomous, they could move faster than institutions can adapt, leading to decisions that people no longer understand or can intervene in. This concern is particularly acute as the industry approaches systems capable of recursive self-improvement, which could accelerate the pace of AI development rapidly. Further details are available from Global Affairs in the original source material.

The CEO emphasized that the industry must not accept excessive technological risk simply because the benefits appear too great to slow down. He stated that competitive pressure is not a valid reason for rash decisions and that OpenAI has unilaterally slowed down in the past and will do so again if it cannot make strong alignment, monitorability, and safety guarantees. Altman argued that no level of catastrophic risk, whether 10% or 0.1%, is acceptable, and models should not be trained if there is not an extremely strong case that they can be kept under human control.

Power and Concentration

Beyond safety, Altman addressed the geopolitical implications of AI, warning that no single person, company, or country should be able to use the most powerful models to impose their worldview on others. He rejected the logic that any single actor is uniquely trusted with this technology, noting that such a belief could be used to justify almost any other action. This perspective aligns with OpenAI’s broader focus on global affairs and the need for multilateral engagement in the AI era.

A Pragmatic Path Forward

Altman proposed a pragmatic approach that avoids the extremes of blind optimism and doomerism. He outlined three core principles for OpenAI’s strategy: keeping people at the center of AI decision-making, ensuring that the benefits of scientific progress are for people, and empowering individuals to realize their potential. He described alignment not as an abstract research question, but as the practical work of ensuring systems reliably remain under human control and reflect human values.

The CEO emphasized that AI should not automate human judgment or values. Instead, the technology should serve as a defensive tool against the increasing complexity of life, helping researchers, doctors, teachers, and entrepreneurs to solve problems that previously felt out of reach. Altman stated that the goal is to give people more agency in an ever more complex world, rather than turning them into cogs in a giant machine.

Human Agency and Potential

In his closing remarks, Altman highlighted the potential for AI to expand opportunity and help people pursue dreams that currently feel out of reach. He noted that while the technology is powerful and intimidating, it offers a chance for a new renaissance of discovery. Altman positioned the builders of the technology as enablers rather than heroes, trusting in the skill and faculties of humanity to guide the next stages of development. He stressed that the continuous story of human progress is that the right tools make people more capable, a trajectory he believes will go much further than currently possible.

Sources

• OpenAI NewsSam Altman’s remarks at the United Nations Security Council