The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could become powerful enough to threaten humanity and said he will call on companies in the coming days to limit the risks.

"I share the concerns of people in the industry that advanced artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity," Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, in a speech ahead of the start of his second term next month.

“I call here today for a general effort to put in place strong safeguards for AI security, before it is too late.” Without naming them, Turk warned that a handful of people have “almost unlimited power over AI.” Leading AI companies include Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.

"At the very least, we need countries that host artificial intelligence and those involved in its supply chains to come together on agreed red lines," he said.