King Charles: Pace of AI is ‘deeply concerning’

 

King Charles: Pace of AI is ‘deeply concerning’

 

The British monarch will tell tech CEOS the world wants “reassurance that we will not lose control of our destiny.”

King Charles III reacts as he visits the new Whittle Laboratory, at the University of Cambridge. | Pool photo by Joe Giddens/WPA via Getty Images

September 17, 2026 7:00 am CET

By Joseph Bambridge

https://www.politico.eu/article/king-charles-uk-pace-of-ai-is-deeply-concerning/

 

AYRSHIRE, Scotland — King Charles will say the pace of AI development is “deeply concerning” and tell industry leaders they must provide the public with “reassurance” as he hosts an exclusive gathering on Thursday about the future of the technology.

The event at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, first reported by POLITICO, takes place amid heightened global concern over rapid advances in AI.

“The development of AI — its substance and its pace — are both intriguing and deeply concerning in equal measure,” Charles is expected to tell attendees in opening remarks.

He will say that “those in our world who value our humanity and its vital moral component are anxiously seeking your reassurance that we will not lose control of our destiny.”

And he will warn that the “decisions taken at this formative time will shape the world inherited by future generations,” calling on attendees “not merely to advance technology, but to ensure that it remains firmly in the service of humanity, community and the natural world.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, and OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar are set to attend. Scale AI CEO Francis deSouza and senior figures from Anthropic and Cohere are on the invite list.

U.K. AI Minister Kanishka Narayan and Paolo Benanti, an adviser to the Vatican, are also expected to attend, alongside other “thought leaders.”

The Palace said Charles will invite guests to consider “how can we harness the benefits of AI, with safety at its heart,” and “build international cooperation and consensus to achieve this, so no nation is left behind — and the future of mankind protected.”

The event has been organized by the King’s Trust, the King's Foundation and the Sustainable Markets Initiative, and will also explore whether a “shared set of principles” can be developed to help guide the future application of AI “not merely as a driver of capability and efficiency, but as a tool that upholds human dignity and contributes to the flourishing of both people and the planet.”