His Majesty King Charles III today issued a stark warning to leading artificial intelligence executives about the “existential dangers” of the technology falling into the wrong hands, calling for adequate safeguards “before it is all too late.”
Speaking at a summit he convened at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, the King addressed senior figures from Nvidia, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic and other organisations, alongside UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan and other thought leaders.
“Those who have created these technologies are now increasingly warning that AI risks developing darker capacities – perhaps even to take life,” the King said. “In this regard, if I may say so, there seems urgency in adequately considering the existential dangers of such technologies falling into the wrong hands, and being used in potentially catastrophic ways. Surely we need sufficient means of control before it is all too late?”
While acknowledging AI’s “immense capacity to improve and save life” – particularly in the life sciences and medicine – King Charles stressed that the pace and substance of AI development were “both intriguing and deeply concerning in equal measure.”
He urged the industry leaders to ensure the technology remains firmly under human control and directed toward positive ends. “The task before you is not merely to advance technology, but to ensure that it remains firmly in the service of humanity, community and the natural world. Our humanity must remain sacred.”
The King further noted that people who value humanity’s moral dimension are “anxiously seeking your reassurance that we will not lose control of our destiny, or our souls.”
The gathering aimed to explore a shared set of principles to guide the future application of AI, with discussions focused on harnessing its benefits with safety at the core and building international cooperation so that no nation is left behind.
Attendees included Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Google DeepMind founder and chairman Demis Hassabis, OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar, and Anthropic’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Tino Cuéllar.