King Charles III urges control over AI 'before it's too late'
King Charles III hosted a private summit in Scotland with leading AI and government figures, warning about the existential risks of artificial intelligence. He called for international cooperation to ensure AI serves humanity rather than threatens it.
On Thursday, King Charles III hosted a private gathering at Dumfries House in Scotland attended by prominent figures from the AI industry and the UK government, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, representatives from OpenAI and Anthropic, the UK's newly appointed AI minister Kanishka Narayan, and the head of Britain's foreign intelligence service. Paolo Benanti, who advises the pope on AI matters, also attended.
The royal family typically avoids deep involvement in politically sensitive topics, which made the King's remarks particularly notable. He urged attendees to find ways to control AI before it becomes too late, describing the technology's rapid development as both intriguing and deeply concerning.
The King acknowledged that AI already shows significant potential to improve and save lives, citing medicine and science as examples. However, he noted that the very people building these technologies are increasingly warning about darker capabilities that could potentially endanger human life. His comments came weeks after an Anthropic researcher resigned, publicly stating that AI companies are racing to build machines far smarter than humans and that humanity may not survive the outcome.
The King stressed the urgency of properly considering the existential dangers that could arise if the technology fell into the wrong hands or were used in catastrophic ways. He called for sufficient safeguards to be put in place before it's too late, and urged international cooperation and consensus to ensure AI remains in service of humanity and the natural world rather than technological progress for its own sake.
The gathering lasted around 20 minutes, after which the King left guests to continue the discussion among themselves. An Anthropic representative expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss AI's role in serving the public good. This is not the first time Charles has addressed AI — he did so in 2023 and 2024 as well — but the timing is especially notable as industry leaders clash over the pace of development, with some calling for a slowdown while others, including the US president, push for accelerated progress amid competition with China.
