Sam Altman Addresses the UN Security Council on AI Safety

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke before the United Nations Security Council on September 23, 2026, outlining both the benefits and risks of advanced artificial intelligence. He said AI could help expand opportunity through better healthcare, education, scientific discovery, and economic growth, but warned that increasingly capable systems may also move faster than institutions, concentrate power, or become difficult for people to understand and control. Altman called for international cooperation on AI safety, including shared standards for testing capabilities, assessing risks, reporting incidents, and preserving meaningful human oversight as systems become more autonomous. He also said AI policy should remain grounded in democratic processes and not be left to companies alone.