‘We cannot vibe-code future’: UN chief sounds alarm over AI, calls for global rules
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘We cannot vibe-code future’: UN chief sounds alarm over AI, calls for global rules")
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers the opening speech of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, in Geneva on July 6, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
UN chief António Guterres called for global AI rules, warning the world cannot “vibe-code the future” as the technology advances faster than oversight.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday (Jul 6) called for a global governance system to shape artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. He warned against allowing the technology to “vibe-code” our future. Speaking ahead of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, the UN chief cautioned “an experiment is being run on our own societies, without a plan and without consent,” which is not sustainable.
He warned that AI systems are no longer passive tools. “They are writing code, acting online and making choices with less and less human oversight,” he said, noting that current institutions were built for machines that follow instructions – not ones that increasingly make decisions on their own.
“The question is whether we will shape this transformation together, or let it shape us,” he said, underscoring both the promise and risks of the technology.
UN chief warns against ‘vibe-coding’
While acknowledging AI’s potential to transform healthcare, education and development, Guterres said the pace of change is outstripping safeguards. He also warned of growing over-reliance on AI systems and the spread of misinformation, cautioning against what he described as “vibe-coding”. “But we cannot vibe-code the truth. We cannot vibe-code the future of humanity,” he said.
Vibe coding refers to an intent-driven software development approach where natural language is used to guide an AI assistant in building an application.
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Guterres added that a key concern is the concentration of AI power in a handful of companies and countries, leaving much of the world without a meaningful voice in shaping its trajectory.
Guterres calls for child safety rules and AI standards
He called for common global standards to assess AI risks, stronger protections for children, and a proposed AI Child Safety Pledge to ensure systems accessible to minors are safe.
‘Killer robots’
On military applications, Guterres issued his starkest warning yet, referring to autonomous weapons as “Killer robots,” describing them as machines that do the “selecting and engaging their target and taking a life, – without human control and judgement.” He said such systems “must be banned by international law.”
“The door is still open. It will not stay open long,” he cautioned, urging governments to act before the technology outpaces humanity’s ability to control it.
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