China's DeepSeek to brief UN Security Council on AI this week, sources say

Published
0
The Deepseek logo is seen in this illustration taken Jan. 27, 2025. — Reuters/File
The Deepseek logo is seen in this illustration taken Jan. 27, 2025. — Reuters/File

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek will be among the companies briefing the United Nations Security Council this week on the risks posed by artificial intelligence, two sources familiar with the matter said, as world leaders gather in New York for the annual UN General Assembly.

The 15-member Security Council is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss AI and international security, weeks after several AI industry leaders called for a coordinated slowdown of the development of the increasingly powerful AI systems, warning that they could soon improve on their own and slip beyond human control.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to brief the meeting, where diplomats also expect participation from senior representatives of Anthropic, Reuters reported last week.

DeepSeek and other Chinese AI firms, including Moonshot, have been invited to make statements, one of the sources said.

DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng does not plan to attend, the source said, cautioning that plans remain fluid and could change at the last minute.

DeepSeek and Moonshot did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The UN Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, met for the first time on the risks of artificial intelligence in 2023. At the time, China warned the technology should not become a “runaway horse”, and the US warned against its use to censor or repress people.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned world leaders last week that rapidly advancing AI poses risks that cannot be ignored, putting him at odds with US President Donald Trump, who has argued existing safeguards are sufficient and China would benefit from the doubt being cast on AI development.

Chinese state media have dismissed calls for a slowdown in AI development as stemming from a “Cold War playbook,” aimed at preserving Washington’s dominance in cutting-edge technology and excluding Beijing from the global AI governance system.

Unlike leaders of US frontier labs such as OpenAI and Anthropic, the heads of China’s leading model developers have rarely publicly articulated the possibility that increasingly capable AI systems themselves could deceive humans, evade control or cause catastrophic harm.

They have also remained largely silent on those risks since the debate intensified in the US this month.

Senior US and Chinese officials agreed to hold further talks on AI safety, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday, after meeting ahead of Trump’s scheduled talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping later this week in Washington.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...