An independent journalist is warning against the unchecked rise of artificial intelligence (AI), comparing the public to “guinea pigs” in a global experiment.

Atif Rashid, Editor in Chief of Analyst News – a non-profit international news website – was a panelist in the thematic session held during the UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 14-15 December.

Speaking to UN News’s Reem Abaza, he urged governments and tech companies to slow down, protect children, and treat AI with the same caution as they would untested medications.