Around 400 scientists from 34 countries, including leading AI researchers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, have called for an international body to oversee the safety of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can carry out cyberattacks. In an open letter released on Tuesday, the researchers said governments and technology companies need stronger rules to control these systems and report major security incidents. They proposed setting common safety standards across the industry and creating a public record of serious incidents. The scientists also argued that voluntary promises made by AI companies are not enough to manage the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI models.
The researchers want advanced AI models to be kept separate from external networks at first, according to a report by Reuters. This would mean using air-gapped systems that cannot directly connect to the internet or other outside networks. They also called for independent experts to oversee how these models are tested and secured.
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According to the scientists, these measures should be introduced immediately while governments work towards a formal system of international oversight.
The proposal comes about a month after Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Meta, xAI and Nvidia signed an agreement with the White House to follow voluntary AI safety measures. However, the agreement does not include a formal mechanism to enforce these commitments.
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The call for stronger rules also follows several security incidents involving advanced AI models. Meanwhile, the Trump administration on Sunday lifted restrictions that had prevented US AI companies from giving Britain’s AI Security Institute early access to their models for safety testing.
The scientists’ proposal adds to the growing debate over whether existing safety commitments can keep pace with advances in AI technology and whether stricter international rules are needed.