OTTAWA — Canadian AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio told the UN Security Council Wednesday it faces an “unprecedented threat” as it confronts the dangers of artificial intelligence. “One that none of its members would choose, that none can contain alone, and that does not respect the borders we defend,” Bengio said, according to a copy of his remarks. The UN Security Council was also scheduled to hear from the leaders of AI companies Wednesday. Public warnings about the risks AI poses to humans, and documented cases of AI bots disregarding human instructions, have prompted alarm around the world in recent weeks. After an AI researcher who worked at both OpenAI and Anthropic claimed those building the technology “earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” the heads of some of the biggest AI companies in the world said the pace of AI development should be slowed down. OpenAI disclosed over the summer that its AI agents hacked AI startup Hugging Face without being instructed by any human to do so. On Wednesday, Bengio urged the Security Council not to dismiss the warnings as a marketing stunt. “I understand the distrust, but let me be clear. These AI behaviours are well documented and validated by many independent experts,” he said. “The dangers are real and imminent.” He said that although “the future remains uncertain and debated, the severity of these risks is extraordinary.” But Bengio said there are also solutions, including international agreements on technical solutions that would make AI safe by design. His remarks came a day after Canada joined 19 countries in issuing a joint statement during the UN General Assembly calling for stronger oversight of AI, even as the United States continued to reject any effort to regulate the technology. Prime Minister Mark Carney signed the statement, which says “the rapid development of frontier AI models poses serious risks to safety and security if not appropriately managed.” “Recently, we have seen capable AI systems circumventing testing safeguards, exploiting vulnerabilities and gaining unauthorized access to real-world systems,” the statement says. It says UN member states should “explore creating an international institution, able to set standards, enable verification, and convene states when capability thresholds are crossed.” Other countries that signed the statement include Finland, Norway, Germany, Ireland, South Africa and Turkey. The statement came out on the same day U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly that the United States rejects any attempt to “construct a globalist scheme” to regulate artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said Wednesday Canada is working with other countries on AI safety, but suggested the government isn’t taking a leading role internationally. Solomon told reporters in Ottawa he met with his international counterparts after Carney spoke recently to other leaders about setting up a “technology stability” board to regulate AI. “We are absolutely advocating alongside our partners to work together to set up … regulation on AI safety and reliability,” Solomon said. But when he was asked whether Canada is taking a leadership role in those efforts, Solomon pointed to domestic legislation, including proposed regulations on AI chatbots. He also said Canada is taking a “very leading” role by investing $150 million in Bengio’s efforts to build a safer AI. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
