A conference in Dubai has heard OpenAI Sam Altman warn of “societal misalignments” with artificial intelligence.

In a video link to the World Governments Summit, he stressed the need for an organisation similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency to oversee the technology, given the speed at which it was developing.

“There’s some things in there that are easy to imagine where things really go wrong,” he said, stressing that this was not a reference to “killer robots” walking the streets.

“I’m much more interested in the very subtle societal misalignments where we just have these systems out in society and through no particular ill intention, things just go horribly wrong.”

And he stressed that the industry itself should not be in charge. Altman said “a lot of discussion” was taking place – “everybody in the world is having a conference” – but that there would be a need for action.

“I think we’re still at a time where debate is needed and healthy, but at some point in the next few years, I think we have to move towards an action plan with real buy-in around the world.”

He said he was “heartened” to see that schools now embraced AI the technology as crucial for the future, but warned that AI was still in its infancy. “Give us some time, but in a few more years it’ll be much better than it is now.

“And in a decade it should be pretty remarkable.”

• A new Reuters Institute report, Journalism, Media and Technology Trends and Predictions 2024, addresses “the disruptive power” of AI following more than 300 interviews in 50 countries.

“The implications for the reliability of information, and the sustainability of the mainstream media are likely to be profound in a year that sees critical elections due in more than 40 democracies, with wars continuing to rage in Europe and the Middle East,” says author Nic Newman.

“Against that background journalists and news organisations will need to rethink their role and purpose with some urgency.”

However, with change comes opportunity and the report is full of ways in which news organisations around the world are adapting to the new world. “Embracing the best of AI while managing its risks will be the underlying narrative of the year ahead,” says Newman.

The report can be downloaded here.