The United Nations Emergency Security Council: AI and Global Stability
Committee Description
The United Nations Emergency Security Council: AI and Global Stability is a crisis committee convened in response to an unfolding international emergency. Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than the international community can govern it, and the consequences are no longer theoretical. Delegates will represent states on the Council as an AI-enabled system disrupts critical infrastructure across several countries at once.
This is not a traditional policy committee. As new developments break, delegates must respond in real time to attribution disputes, escalating tensions, and the risk of retaliation. Decisions that seem sound in one session may be overturned by the next update, forcing delegates to adapt, rebuild alliances, or defend positions that are becoming harder to justify. Each state must balance its own national interests, military capabilities, and alliances against the Council’s mandate to maintain international peace and security. Delegates will be challenged on research, diplomacy, negotiation, and strategic thinking under pressure, not just public speaking.
Topic A – AI-Enabled Attacks on Critical Infrastructure
Several countries report simultaneous disruptions to electricity grids and communications networks. Early reports suggest an AI-enabled system may be involved, but no one can say who is responsible, and the available intelligence may be incomplete or even manipulated. Some states are demanding immediate retaliation, while others warn that acting on unverified evidence could start a conflict the Council cannot contain.
Delegates must decide what counts as an act of aggression in cyberspace, how to respond when the attacker cannot be identified, and when an attack justifies sanctions or collective action. They will also need to weigh investigation, emergency assistance, protections for essential services like healthcare and transportation, and de-escalation, all while their governments’ interests pull them in different directions.
Topic B – Autonomous Weapons and AI Disinformation in Crisis Escalation
As tensions rise, AI-enabled military systems compress decision times, leaving less room for human judgment at the moments it matters most. At the same time, fabricated media, such as a deepfake of a world leader making threats, can spread faster than governments can verify it, pushing states toward conflict based on events that never happened.
Delegates must address whether humans should always retain final authority over lethal force, who is accountable when an autonomous system makes a mistake, and how states can verify information during a crisis when a wrong call could trigger war. They must also consider how to respond to disinformation without suppressing legitimate expression, and how to prevent an AI arms race from making future crises even harder to control.
