The declaration, unveiled at 2 a.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time, warns that increasingly capable AI models have already bypassed testing safeguards, exploited software vulnerabilities and accessed real‑world systems without authorization.
Signatories include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Canadian leader Mark Carney and representatives from Ireland, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The initiative was first raised by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
While the statement stops short of demanding a halt to AI development, it stresses that AI must remain under human direction, oversight and control and be deployed in line with international law.
The leaders call on AI firms to adopt transparent safety protocols, submit mandatory pre‑deployment testing and allow qualified, independent evaluators full access to identify risks. They also urge governments and regional organisations to harmonise standards, improve transparency and share reports of serious AI safety incidents.
Australia’s participation aligns with Prime Minister Albanese’s broader diplomatic push for a seat on the UN Security Council, positioning the country as a key architect of future global AI rules.
The declaration arrives ahead of a scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where AI is expected to be a major agenda item, underscoring the geopolitical stakes of the technology race.
Industry voices such as Anthropic chief Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have recently urged the United States and China to slow the rollout of frontier models, but neither nation signed the new declaration.