In a message addressed to an event on the subject held at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, the UN chief acknowledged the potential of AI, stating that if used well and shared broadly, it could compress decades of development into just a few years and improve people’s lives everywhere.

However, he warned of the risks posed by machines that make decisions with diminishing human oversight, as well as the concentration of power in the hands of a few companies and countries.

“The choice before us is not whether to trust AI or fear it. We must decide whether we manage it through deliberate design or allow it to govern us by default,” he noted.

“Control mechanisms must be rooted in shared values, reflected in our laws and institutions, and informed by our collective knowledge.

That is why universities are indispensable,” he pointed out.

In this regard, he explained that higher education institutions generate the specialized knowledge upon which robust governance depends, and they train the generation that will build and manage these systems.

“You are the guardians of truth at a time when it is under attack. I therefore urge you to continue bringing your science to light, making it accessible to all.

Teach ethics alongside engineering, and collaborate across borders to help ensure that AI is safe, fair, and accessible to everyone,” he said.

“Let us build, together, an AI future created by humanity, with humanity, and for humanity.”

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