Kavelashvili Addresses UN's First AI Governance Forum, Meets Guterres in Geneva
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Georgian Dream President Mikheil Kavelashvili attended the opening session of the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva on July 6 and held a separate meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The forum marks the UN General Assembly's first dedicated platform for coordinating global approaches to the oversight of artificial intelligence. Representatives from all UN member states attended, alongside participants from the private sector, civil society, academia, and the technical community, gathered to compare practices and work toward shared governance standards.
Speaking in Georgian, Kavelashvili told delegates that AI's rapid development affects all three pillars of UN work: peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development. He warned that misuse of the technology "may distort perceptions of reality to such an extent that it triggers global instability."
He placed particular emphasis on cultural and linguistic identity, saying: "Language and culture are the foundation of our civilization. If artificial intelligence causes us to lose control over them, the very essence of humanity and the future of humankind will be at risk."
Kavelashvili also addressed the resources needed to build advanced AI systems, arguing that the scale of investment required creates dangerous concentrations of power. "This unprecedented concentration of power must not become a weapon of totalitarian control and a new digital tyranny that undermines national sovereignty and individual freedom," he said.
He called on the international community to establish shared rules for AI, describing it as "our shared responsibility to build a solid international legal architecture" to prevent "geopolitical chaos" and ensure the technology serves "the well-being, security, and stability of all humanity rather than the domination of individual actors."
Following his address, Kavelashvili met privately with Guterres. In a social media post afterward, he said he reaffirmed Georgia's readiness to continue cooperating within the UN framework and to support initiatives that strengthen peace and sustainable development. He said he also raised the importance of international backing for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and renewed his invitation for Guterres to visit the country.
