UN chief says power has polarized the world and urges leaders to cooperate

UNITED NATIONS — In his final address as U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres warned that the world faces a critical decision: whether to continue down a path of division or unite to address critical challenges such as climate change, uncontrolled artificial intelligence, and widening disparities. The root of these crises, according to Guterres, is power.

He observed the "irreversible" shift towards a multipolar world, the rapid transfer of power from governments to a select few corporations and individuals, and the growing control of power from humans to machines through artificial intelligence.

Guterres cautioned against what he called "the great fracture" - a split of the world into two opposing blocs, each with distinct economic, technological, and security systems. He criticized the notion of might-making-right, urging superpowers to acknowledge that their power is not as dominant as they believe. Guterres emphasized that military strength alone cannot ensure peace and that relying solely on brute force is not an effective strategy for global security.