WASHINGTON (July 7, 2026) – At the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Switzerland UN leaders are calling for global regulations on artificial intelligence, noting concerns from child safety to AI-powered weapons.
As AI becomes a part of everyday life, the UN Secretary-General stated that AI systems should be thoroughly tested for safety. Under the UN's new Child Safety pledge, AI developers have to prove that their tech is safe for children, maintain zero tolerance for abuse, and when a child shows signs of distress, the system must stop and connect them to human support.
This proposal also calls for every major AI company to measure and publicly disclose the full footprint of its systems, and to commit to powering every data center with renewable energy by 2030.
GW experts are available for more insight on these developments:
Susan Ariel Aaronson, research professor of international affairs, director of the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub and co-PI at the NSF Trustworthy AI Institute, TRAILS. Aaronson has written six books on the development of trade agreements and how policymakers talk about the rule of law in trade, as well as two primers on trade agreements for Americans. Her research focuses on AI governance, data governance, competitiveness in data-driven services such as XR, and AI and digital trade. Aaronson can offer analysis on the use of AI in enterprise systems and economics of AI.
Neil Johnson, physics professor at the George Washington University, developed a mathematical model that identifies what he calls a “Jekyll-and-Hyde tipping point” in AI systems. His research shows that as an AI’s attention and processing become overstretched, outputs can abruptly shift from accurate and helpful to incorrect, misleading, or even harmful. Ultimately, this work could help build more trustworthy systems and help policymakers and the public better understand when and how to rely on AI tools.
David Broniatowski, professor of engineering management and systems engineering at GW, studies decision-making under risk, group behavior, and complex socio-technical systems. His research uses methods such as mathematical modeling, network analysis, and natural language processing to examine how information spreads and how people respond to risk in digital environments.
To schedule an interview, please contact Nadia Payne at nadia [dot] payne
gwu [dot] edu (nadia[dot]payne[at]gwu[dot]edu) or GW Media Relations at gwmediagwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
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