Geneva — The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI launched its Preliminary Report on July 2, 2026. The report warned of existential risks associated with artificial intelligence and called for urgent global governance.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated during the report's release that the scientific evidence is now concrete. "The science is here," Guterres said. "We can no longer say we did not know. What we do with it is now up to all of us." He urged governments to act without delay, stating, "My message to governments is simple: do not wait."

Yoshua Bengio, co-chair of the panel, said, "AI capabilities are outpacing both scientific understanding and governments' ability to adapt." Bengio added, "With growing evidence of deceptive AI behaviour, science currently cannot guarantee that as capabilities continue to increase, AI will not cause catastrophic harm, either on its own or due to malicious users." Maria Ressa, also a co-chair, said, "The technology is transformative, but if the world keeps moving along this trajectory, humanity will fail to realise the gains it promises."

The panel consists of 40 scientists and experts from every region. It noted that over one billion people globally use conversational AI weekly. AI has been used to predict the structures of more than 200 million proteins, and doctors are employing AI to detect breast cancer earlier.

The report detailed concerns including uneven AI adoption across countries and sectors, with the Global South lagging behind the Global North. The United States accounts for 75 percent of the computing power among the world's top 500 AI supercomputers, while China holds 15 percent. Companies in the United States and China develop nearly all leading general-purpose AI models.

The report documented negative consequences of AI, such as sycophantic AI behavior linked to mental health incidents, including deaths. Criminals have been documented using AI systems for cyberattacks, and AI is contributing to the spread of sexual abuse material and sexually explicit deepfakes.

Why It Matters

The Preliminary Report indicates that rapid advancement and adoption of artificial intelligence present both opportunities and risks. Identified risks include deceptive AI behavior, potential catastrophic harm, and links to mental health incidents and criminal activities, prompting calls for immediate global governance. The report notes a disparity in AI development and adoption, with a majority of computing power and leading models concentrated in the United States and China.

The call for urgent governance by the UN Secretary-General and the panel's co-chairs reflects a perceived need for international cooperation to manage the technology's evolution. The report's findings, including AI's current capabilities in medical fields and its widespread use by over a billion people, contrast with its documented negative impacts, framing AI as a critical global challenge requiring coordinated international responses.