Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has urged governments and technology companies to accelerate efforts to establish safeguards for artificial intelligence, warning that the opportunity to address its most serious risks may be closing.
Speaking at South Korea’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies on Wednesday, October 14, Harris identified cybersecurity threats, AI-powered weapons and systems that could escape human control as major concerns requiring immediate attention.
She stressed that AI developers must participate in discussions on safety standards, arguing that governments cannot effectively manage the technology’s risks without involving the companies building and deploying these systems.
Harris also called on the United States to cooperate with China in developing international rules and standards for AI, despite tensions between the two countries. She argued that strategic competition should not prevent collaboration on shared threats.
Her remarks come as governments worldwide face growing pressure to balance rapid AI development with security, accountability and effective oversight. Advanced AI systems are increasingly being adopted across industries, raising questions about how to prevent misuse while allowing innovation to continue.
Harris also highlighted the importance of sustained international partnerships, particularly between the United States and South Korea, in areas including semiconductors, electric vehicles, clean energy and shipbuilding.
Her intervention adds to the growing debate over whether existing regulatory frameworks can keep pace with advances in artificial intelligence.
The central challenge for policymakers is to establish practical safeguards before increasingly capable AI systems create risks that become more difficult to contain.
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