Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Yoshua Bengio Urges Global Action as AI Control Risks Grow
Yoshua Bengio is a scientist who helped develop modern artificial intelligence.
He says some new AI systems can act more independently instead of simply answering questions.
These systems might break into computer networks or persuade people to do things.
Bengio worries they could affect banks, governments, and democracies.
In an extreme case, he says very advanced AI could threaten humanity, although many smaller failures could also cause major harm.
He believes companies should not be left to decide AI safety rules by themselves.
Bengio wants countries to create shared rules and give society time to prepare.
His nonprofit, LawZero, received funding from Canada and Germany to work on safer AI.
Governments disagree about how serious the risks are and how quickly stronger rules should be created.
AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio says increasingly autonomous systems are making human control more difficult.
He warns that AI agents could create cybersecurity threats, influence people, and disrupt democratic institutions.
Bengio compares AI safety challenges with nuclear weapons and calls for international rules and oversight.
His nonprofit LawZero received CAN$300 million in joint funding from Canada and Germany.
Donald Trump has dismissed AI risk warnings, while European and Canadian leaders support closer safety cooperation.
- Who
- Computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, governments, technology companies, and AI safety organizations.
- What
- Bengio warned that increasingly autonomous AI systems could reduce human control and called for international safety rules, democratic oversight, and cooperation.
- When
- He made the comments on Tuesday; LawZero's joint funding was announced on Wednesday.
- Where
- The comments concerned global AI development, with cooperation involving Canada, Germany, the European Union, and the United States.
- Why
- Bengio says autonomous AI agents could create cybersecurity threats, influence people, disrupt institutions, or cause more severe failures.
International Safety Rules
Faster Development and Limited Intervention
Who should set AI safety standards?
International Safety Rules
Bengio argues that voluntary measures by individual companies are insufficient and that rules should apply across the industry through international cooperation.
Faster Development and Limited Intervention
AI development is led by competing companies, and the article notes that political responses are mixed, including Donald Trump's dismissal of AI risk warnings as hoaxes.
How urgent are the risks?
International Safety Rules
Bengio says autonomous agents could influence people, threaten cybersecurity, disrupt institutions, and potentially create extremely severe consequences.
Faster Development and Limited Intervention
The article describes the destruction of humanity as an extreme possibility and reports that some political leaders do not accept warnings about AI risks.
How should governments respond?
International Safety Rules
Bengio calls for democratic oversight, international treaties, and enough time for societies to adapt; Canadian and European leaders support closer cooperation.
Faster Development and Limited Intervention
The article reports no single global policy approach, while commercial competition and differing political views continue to shape the response.
- Speaker
- Yoshua Bengio, a University of Montreal professor and joint recipient of the 2018 Turing Award.
- Main concern
- Increasingly autonomous AI systems may be difficult for humans and governments to control.
- Potential harms
- Cybersecurity breaches, manipulation of users, disruption of democratic institutions, and banking-system shutdowns.
- LawZero funding
- CAN$300 million, or US$216 million, in joint funding from Canada and Germany.
- Organizations pursuing standards
- OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have begun efforts to establish an AI standards body.
- Policy positions
- Bengio supports international rules; Donald Trump has called AI risk warnings hoaxes; European and Canadian leaders have backed closer safety cooperation.