By Edwin Austin
Founded by the late Nelson Mandela to champion peace, justice, and human rights across the globe, London‑based The Elders, have now stepped decisively into the struggle for responsible governance of Artificial Intelligence.
On 27 March 2026, a remarkable coalition of global leaders, leading AI scientists, and human rights champions united under The Elders’ banner to issue an urgent plea – Governments must act immediately to regulate AI for the public good before its unchecked power leads to disaster.
Chaired by Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate, The Elders’ declaration warns that the rapid acceleration of AI capabilities, coupled with a widening governance gap, is no longer a future risk but an active global crisis.
By their account, AI’s promise to revolutionize healthcare, education, and agriculture is overshadowed by mounting threats: premature militarization of AI weapons risking breaches of international law, AI-driven mass surveillance and political misinformation undermining civil liberties and democracy, and the enormous environmental toll of AI data centers draining energy and water resources.
The Elders unequivocally rejected the false notion that governments cannot keep pace with AI advancements, or that companies’ self-regulation and geopolitical rivalry are sufficient safeguards.
“We reject claims that governments cannot or should not regulate AI: because technology moves too quickly, because companies will regulate themselves, because geopolitical competition matters more than public safety. These narratives are all misleading.” the viral statement read.
Instead, they demand governments take immediate responsibility to protect peace and security, uphold human rights and the rule of law, and safeguard environmental sustainability. They insist AI governance must be transparent, globally inclusive, and scientifically grounded, emphasizing that the United Nations should lead in coordinating these efforts.
Distinguished List of Global Experts
This unified call-to-action was amplified by an extraordinary lineup of signatories who represent a cross-section of global expertise. Among them are Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former administrator of the UN Development Programme; Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and ex-Director-General of the WHO.
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia – all active members of The Elders.
Joining these seasoned policymakers are renowned AI pioneers and scholars: Yoshua Bengio from Université de Montréal; Cynthia Dwork of Harvard University; Kate Crawford from the University of Southern California and Microsoft Research; Alondra Nelson from the Institute for Advanced Study; Stuart Russell, distinguished AI professor at UC Berkeley and President of the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI.
Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Laureate and Columbia University professor; and Marietje Schaake, Stanford fellow and author of *The Tech Coup*. Notable signatories also include anthropologist Lucy Suchman, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology Amb. Philip Thigo, Dame Wendy Hall of the University of Southampton, and Yi Zeng from the Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance.
Kenya’s Amb. Philip Thigo reacting to the release of this Call to Action on AI, highlighted the gravity of the moment, stressing that the gap between AI’s rapid growth and governance is now a crisis requiring urgent public leadership and international cooperation.
“The choices we make now will shape who benefits from AI and who bears its risks, determining whether this technology ultimately serves humanity,” he said.
Mandela’s vision lives on through this historic call. As AI reshapes our world at breakneck speed, The Elders and their coalition of experts urges governments everywhere to seize this moment and act decisively, govern wisely, and ensure AI contributes to a just, peaceful, and sustainable future for all.
The time to govern AI is now, before AI governs us.