Deputy prime minister uses speech to Security Council to warn that, while artificial intelligence offers ‘astounding promise and power, it also presents huge risks in the service of ‘malign actors’

Deputy prime minister David Lammy has told members of the United Nations Security Council that the UK is “on a mission” to embed artificial intelligence in society safely – and urged member states to help ensure the technology ensures “peace and security”. 

Lammy used a speech to the Security Council in New York to emphasise the potential for good that AI presents, however he also noted the extent to which “malign actors” would seek to exploit that same prowess. 

Lammy was foreign secretary until earlier this month, when PM Keir Starmer’s reshuffle saw him moved to a role as deputy prime minister and justice secretary.  

In his speech yesterday, he noted that diplomats, peacebuilders, and terrorists alike now carry “superhuman expertise” on their smartphones, while superintelligence is on the horizon that will be able to operate, coordinate, and act on our behalf. 

“We are staring at a technological frontier of astounding promise and power,” he said. “No aspect of life, war, or peace will escape. Deep AI analysis of situational data holds this promise for peacekeeping: Ultra-accurate real-time logistics; ultra-accurate real-time sentiment analysis; ultra-early warning systems. But there are also these challenges for armed conflict: ultra-novel chemical and biological weapons, ultra-accessible to malign actors. And ultra-rampant distortion and disinformation.” 

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Lammy said the risk of miscalculation, the risk of unintended escalation, and the arrival of AI-powered chatbots “stirring conflict” were all threats for global security. 

He added that AI also would also have contrasting impacts on the climate: on one hand potentially adding “the equivalent of a new Japan” to world electricity consumption, on the other providing huge benefits by transforming efficiency in electricity production to better match supply with demand. 

“We are crossing humanity’s most profound technological frontier,” Lammy said. “Our lives, our world, our politics are about to be flooded with super-powerful AI.  There is only one way forward: resilience. Learning how to use these tools and embedding them safely in society, this is the United Kingdom’s mission. The United Kingdom is committed to using AI responsibly. Safely, legally, and ethically.” 

The deputy prime minister cited the UK’s AI Security Institute, which he said has more dedicated researchers than anywhere else in the world, and the International AI Safety Report, which has its secretariat based in the UK, as examples of how the commitment will be delivered. 

He concluded: “Together, here at the United Nations, we must ensure AI strengthens peace and security. I believe that it can. And if we act together, we can get there.”