Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned that artificial intelligence’s potential use in nuclear weapons systems “challenges the future of humanity” during an address to the UN Security Council.
Speaking at UN Headquarters, Wong highlighted the existential threat posed by removing human oversight from nuclear warfare decisions.
“AI’s potential use in nuclear weapons and unmanned systems challenges the future of humanity,” Wong told the Security Council. “Nuclear warfare has so far been constrained by human judgement. By leaders who bear responsibility and by human conscience. AI has no such concern, nor can it be held accountable.”
The Foreign Minister emphasised that autonomous weapons systems could fundamentally alter the nature of warfare by enabling escalation without human intervention or warning.
“President, decisions of life and death must never be delegated to machines,” Wong said.
Beyond nuclear concerns, Wong addressed AI’s broader threats to social stability, warning of a “collapse of truth altogether” as artificially generated content becomes indistinguishable from reality.
She described the proliferation of “false voices, fabricated images, manufactured narratives” and “algorithms amplifying fiction masquerading as fact” as risks that could destabilise societies and deepen divisions.
Wong called for international cooperation to establish standards ensuring AI remains “safe, secure, responsible and ethical,” urging the Security Council to lead by example in strengthening international peace and security.
Australia is seeking a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2029-30 term, with Wong citing the country’s experience in building digital resilience and capacity-building partnerships across the region.
The address comes as the Security Council approaches its 80th anniversary and follows recent international efforts, including the Republic of Korea and Netherlands’ Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit.
