Austria proposes UN AI center in Vienna

The Austrian Federal Government is proposing an international AI center in Vienna under the auspices of the United Nations, according to Vindobona.org. The center would bring together governments, researchers and companies to study risks from advanced AI systems and develop international safety standards.

State Secretary Alexander Pröll presented the initiative during a virtual meeting on controls for frontier AI models attended by representatives from nearly 30 countries. Austria also plans to pursue international rules for autonomous AI weapons. Chancellor Christian Stocker and Pröll also met Geoffrey Hinton at the TEDAI Vienna conference. "No single country or company can manage these risks alone, so I welcome every serious effort to build international cooperation on AI safety," Hinton said.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry will hold negotiations on the center's mandate, structure and financing in 2027. Geneva is another possible location, while UN members have yet to agree whether to create an independent body or expand existing institutions.