UN 2027: The Secretary-General in the Age of AGI
A vignette on how advanced AI will confront the next UN Secretary-General over the 2027–2031 term
Summary
When António Guterres became UN Secretary-General in 2017, he chose to make AI one of his priority areas. The next Secretary-General will have no choice. Advanced AI will be a defining challenge of the 2027–2031 term, and it will increasingly shape outcomes in all core pillars of the UN, from peace and security to development and human rights.
This vignette follows the first twelve months of the new Secretary-General along two timelines. In one, the persona always follows the standard procedures; we call her Norma. In the other, she understands that exceptional times require exceptional measures, and that agency and speed sometimes matter more; we call her Nova. The starting conditions are identical: the same mandate, the same budget, and the same member states.
The vignette is not a scientific summary, a prediction or a policy recommendation. It is a narrative way to explore possible futures and to make trajectories that feel abstract on paper more vivid. Its message: the next Secretary-General’s core challenge will not be to manage the gradual decline of the UN, but to do whatever it takes for the UN to live up to this moment.
Contents
- What This Vignette Is About
- 2026: An Immersive Reflection
- 2027: A Fork in the Road
- Norma – The Business-As-Usual Timeline
- Nova – The High-Agency Timeline
- 2028–2031: The Calendar vs. the Curve
- A Call for UN Dynamism
How to cite
Kohler, K., & Cheong, J. (2026). UN 2027: The Secretary-General in the Age of AGI. AGI Preparedness Institute.