The US, China, UK and France have so far stayed out of a new call to keep frontier systems \u201cunder human control\u201d<\/p>\n
A group of mostly European states and middle powers is seeking to build a new global coalition on artificial intelligence, as countries outside the US-China technology race scramble to retain influence over how increasingly powerful systems are governed.
\nLeaders representing 20 countries, alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, signed the declaration on Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-level Week in New York, calling for frontier AI to remain \u201cunder human direction, oversight and control.\u201d The initiative was spearheaded by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
\nThe world\u2019s two leading AI powers \u2013 the US and China \u2013 did not sign. Neither did several major European players, including the UK, France and Italy, although Germany, Spain and a number of smaller EU states joined the initiative. The statement remains open for additional endorsements.<\/p>\n
AI can improve people\u2019s lives, advance science and strengthen our economies. At the same time, the rapid development of AI models creates risks that we must manage together.We can choose to compete, to co-operate, or to step back. I hope we choose co-operation.President\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/DR7HaaJDHp\u2014 Alexander Stubb (@alexstubb) September 21, 2026 <\/p>\n
The declaration warns that advanced AI systems have already circumvented testing safeguards, exploited vulnerabilities and gained unauthorized access to real-world systems. It calls for mandatory pre-deployment testing, independent evaluations with sufficient access to frontier models, common international standards and shared reporting of serious safety incidents.<\/p>\n
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US proposes AI alert system with China<\/p>\n
It stops short, however, of demanding a pause or slowdown in AI development. Instead, its backers want UN members to explore creating an international institution capable of setting standards, verifying compliance and convening governments when AI systems cross certain capability thresholds.
\nStubb acknowledged that bringing the dominant AI powers on board will be crucial, telling Politico that the goal was to create \u201cmomentum\u201d and eventually attract both Washington and Beijing.
\n\u201cI think it will be in the interest of both China and the United States to have some kind of guardrails,\u201d he said, arguing that \u201chumans need to be in charge.\u201d Stubb said his preferred model would resemble the International Atomic Energy Agency, although organizers deliberately left the institutional format open to avoid alienating governments wary of creating another UN body.<\/p>\n
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Wired for War: Pax Silica is AI slavery disguised as strength<\/p>\n
The push comes as Washington and Beijing are increasingly setting the terms of the global AI debate themselves and promoting competing international frameworks. AI safety is also expected to feature when President Donald Trump meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday.
\nWashington\u2019s Pax Silica initiative has expanded to 24 partners and centers on securing semiconductor, critical-mineral and AI supply chains among what the US describes as \u201ctrusted\u201d partners.
\nBeijing, meanwhile, established the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in July with 29 founding countries, including Russia, many of them from the Global South. China has paired that initiative with open-weight models, training programs and infrastructure projects, presenting itself as an alternative to Western-controlled AI ecosystems.<\/p>\n
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Russia and China seek to define global AI principles<\/p>\n
The UN has also launched its own Global Dialogue on AI Governance, meaning the new European-led initiative enters an increasingly crowded contest over who gets to write global AI rules.
\nSome countries are keeping a foot in multiple emerging AI governance camps rather than choosing a single bloc. Kazakhstan has gone furthest in hedging its bets, joining China-backed WAICO and the US-led Pax Silica initiative while also signing Monday\u2019s \u201chuman control\u201d declaration. Kenya and South Africa, meanwhile, are founding members of WAICO and have now backed the new European-led initiative as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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