New York, September 24, 2026: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has called for stronger international cooperation to ensure artificial intelligence (AI) does not become another front in the global arms race, stressing that human judgment and control must remain central to its development and use.
Addressing a UN Security Council briefing on artificial intelligence and international security, Dar said AI was rapidly transforming societies, economies and security environments, with its impact particularly visible in international and regional peace and stability.
He described AI as a force multiplier and a cross-cutting dual-use technology that was opening a new chapter in modern warfare.
Dar said the foremost priority should be to retain human judgment and control at every stage of AI design, development and integration. Humans, he stressed, must remain responsible for defining the structures of AI systems and determining the speed and nature of their future capabilities.
The foreign minister called for guardrails, regulations and governance frameworks to prevent AI from becoming another dimension of the ongoing arms race. In the military domain, he advocated restraint and confidence-building measures to reduce the risks of miscalculation and compressed decision-making.
Dar also cautioned against allowing AI to become the monopoly of a few countries or actors, stressing that international collaboration was essential to ensure its development remained representative, transparent and inclusive.
He highlighted misinformation, fake news and cyberattacks, including attacks on critical infrastructure by state and non-state actors, as challenges that were being amplified by AI.
The deputy prime minister warned that efforts to control the pace of frontier AI should not become a new form of technological gatekeeping. He said restrictions that allowed only a few actors to advance while holding others back could deepen existing technological divides and turn a safety agenda into technological exclusion.
“The risks of uncontrolled AI would be borne by all; decisions on how to manage them cannot rest with a handful of companies or capitals,” Dar said.
He called for a comprehensive approach to AI governance through open, representative and inclusive forums with universal participation under UN auspices, warning against fragmentation in the development and governance of AI.
Dar welcomed the convening of the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for international cooperation to harness the benefits of AI while addressing its risks collectively.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s participation as a founding member of China’s initiative to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), describing it as a concrete step towards developing AI “for good, and for all”.
The foreign minister stressed the importance of confidence-building measures to reduce mistrust, prevent accidental escalation and manage risks associated with military and foundational AI systems.
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing international cooperation on AI and said Islamabad would work with member states to help bridge the global AI divide and promote equitable access to technology for peace and development.
