ProHuman: Governing the Global AI Revolution

For years, artificial intelligence safety research has focused on accidental risks and unintended consequences. But what if AI models were demonstrating risks that weren’t accidental at all? What if the AI agents were being deliberately deceptive? This sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. To avoid being shut off, some AI models have lied, manipulated information, tried to replicate themselves, and even threatened blackmail.  In this episode, Niki Iliadis, an AI governance expert at the Future Society, shares the growing evidence of alarming AI incidents that signal the need for enforceable red lines to prevent catastrophic and existential outcomes. Then, our featured host, former Irish President Mary Robinson, speaks with a leading AI-safety researcher, professor Stuart Russell, about which AI risks, misuses, and behaviors are too dangerous not to ban internationally.   ProHuman: Governing the Global AI Revolution is a co-production of Foreign Policy and the Future of Life Institute. Mary Robinson, and all of our featured hosts, is a member of the Elders.  Stuart Russell directs the Center for Human-Compatible AI and co-directs the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public. For more from the Future of Life Institute (FLI), click here. For FLI’s AI treaty builder, click here.  And for the latest from Foreign Policy, click ⁠⁠here⁠.

Like previous artificial intelligence models, Anthropic’s Mythos can process vast amounts of data to generate language, create images, and assist in software development. But unlike previous models, Mythos exhibits a very high capacity for discovering cybersecurity vulnerabilities. It is an artificial expert in cyberattack and defense. With little to no government oversight, private companies continue to develop more powerful AI systems. While the sources of the largest risks are located in a handful of countries, the impact of AI will be felt across the globe.    In this episode, Anthony Aguirre, the CEO of the Future of Life Institute, explains what makes powerful AI models such as Mythos so dangerous and how they represent a threat to every country in the world.   Then, our featured host, former Irish President Mary Robinson, speaks with one of the “godfathers of AI,” Yoshua Bengio, about why AI-related risks and challenges cannot be addressed by countries individually but require a coordinated approach. ProHuman: Governing the Global AI Revolution is a co-production of Foreign Policy and the Future of Life Institute. Mary Robinson, and all of our featured hosts, is a member of The Elders.  Yoshua Bengio is the founder and scientific advisor of Mila. To read the International AI Safety Report 2026, click here. For more from the Future of Life Institute (FLI), click here. For FLI’s AI treaty builder, click here.  And for the latest from Foreign Policy click ⁠⁠here⁠.

The promises and perils of artificial intelligence are mythic. It could help alleviate poverty and hunger and even cure cancer. But it could also cause massive job loss, spread deepfakes and disinformation, and lead to profound disruption to our modern way of life. And right now, all of that power is held by just a few companies, even though we all carry the risks. From Foreign Policy in collaboration with the Future of Life Institute comes a new podcast where global leaders ask AI experts urgent questions about this transformative technology and how we can govern it together. What guardrails are needed to ensure AI development is safe and beneficial for all of humanity? What are the red lines not to cross, and how can they be enforced? How can governments collaborate to create international standards that keep everyone safe? And how can the benefits of AI be spread equitably across the globe? There’s no time to waste. We need to be having these conversations. Listen to ProHuman: Governing the Global AI Revolution wherever you get your podcasts. For more from Future of Life, check out Global Governance of AI.