At his final UN General Assembly opening address, António Guterres argued that the defining struggle of the coming era will be how humanity uses and governs power across war, wealth, climate and artificial intelligence.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that global power is being reshaped by new states, powerful corporations and rapidly advancing artificial intelligence. In his final opening address to the UN General Assembly, he argued that power should not be measured only by the ability to dominate others, but by the ability to build a future that works for everyone. He identified war and peace, inequality, climate change and AI as four defining tests of power.
The world's political order is changing, and António Guterres believes the central question is no longer simply who possesses power.
The bigger question, according to the UN secretary-general, is how that power is used — and whether governments and institutions can govern it before it creates deeper instability.
Addressing the opening of the 81st UN General Assembly on September 22, Guterres warned that the world's existing divisions are widening and that international institutions are struggling to keep pace.
“The Greatest Power Is Not the Power to Dominate”
One of the central messages of Guterres's speech was his definition of power.
He said the greatest power is not the power to dominate, but the power to build a future that works for everyone.
The statement came as Guterres presented his annual report and reflected on nearly a decade as secretary-general. With roughly 100 days remaining in his term, he used the speech to connect today's wars, inequality, climate crisis and technological transformation to a broader struggle over who controls power and how it is exercised.
Power Is Moving Beyond Governments
Guterres identified three major changes in the global distribution of power.
First, new centers of economic, political and technological influence are emerging among states. This reflects the growing importance of countries beyond the traditional centers of global power.
Second, he pointed to the growing influence of private corporations and individuals whose reach now extends into politics, economies, information and technological development.
Third, humans are increasingly handing decisions and capabilities to machines. Guterres specifically highlighted autonomous AI systems and lethal autonomous weapons as examples of technology entering areas once controlled directly by humans.
Four Tests Will Define the Future
Guterres organized his warning around four major tests that he said will help determine whether the world moves toward greater cooperation or deeper division.
War and peace: Guterres argued that peace requires more than simply stopping fighting. He described it as restraint of power through law and respect for the principles of the UN Charter.
Inequality: The concentration of wealth and opportunity affects how countries and communities cope with economic and social shocks.
Climate change: Guterres described climate change as a major imbalance between those with resources to respond and populations facing the greatest exposure to its effects.
Artificial intelligence: He warned that AI could either help address global problems or deepen them, depending on whether humanity establishes effective safeguards and accountability.
AI Is Becoming a New Form of Power
Guterres placed artificial intelligence at the center of his warning because its influence is expanding beyond traditional technology.
AI systems can increasingly generate information, make recommendations, operate software and perform tasks with limited human intervention. At the same time, governments and militaries are exploring increasingly autonomous systems.
Guterres called for international cooperation on AI governance and argued that life-and-death decisions should never be surrendered to machines. He also warned that children should not become test subjects for unregulated AI systems.
His argument reflects a wider concern about the speed of technological development compared with the ability of governments to establish rules around it.
A Warning Against a “Great Fracture”
Another major theme of the speech was the danger of the world dividing into competing blocs.
Guterres warned against rival economic and security systems developing around separate centers of power. Such fragmentation could make cooperation on climate, technology, trade, conflict prevention and humanitarian crises more difficult.
He argued instead for a world based on interdependence, shared rules and international law.
Guterres Says the UN Itself Must Change
Guterres did not argue that protecting the existing international system means preserving every part of the status quo.
He said the United Nations needs to become more responsive, effective, transparent, focused on results and disciplined with its resources. His reform agenda also includes changes designed to make the organization more capable of responding to modern global challenges.
He also renewed calls for reform of the Security Council, including addressing the absence of permanent African representation.
Why His Message Matters Now
Guterres's speech comes at a moment when global power is becoming more distributed while cooperation between major powers is under pressure.
Wars and geopolitical rivalry are affecting energy and food security. Climate change is creating pressure across economies. Artificial intelligence is moving rapidly into business, government and security. Meanwhile, large technology companies and other private institutions can influence information and economic activity at a scale once associated primarily with governments.
That combination makes the question of responsible power increasingly important — not only for governments, but also for corporations and the people building the technologies that will shape the next decade.
Guterres's central warning is that the future will not be determined only by who has the most military, economic or technological power. It will also depend on whether those with power can use it to build systems that remain stable, accountable and capable of serving a world that is becoming more interconnected.
Global affairs, technology, business and the forces shaping the future.
