Cooper warns AI poses 'Hiroshima-style' threat, urges global rules
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has issued a stark warning that unregulated artificial intelligence poses a threat to humanity comparable to the atomic bomb, urging the United States and China to agree on binding international rules before it is too late.
In an exclusive essay published Monday by the Chatham House thinktank, Cooper argued that the world cannot afford to wait for an "AI equivalent of Hiroshima" before taking action. The warning comes as senior Labour figures jostle for positions in a potential Andy Burnham cabinet, with Cooper's role at the Foreign Office reportedly under pressure from a possible return of David Miliband.
Cooper told the Guardian that AI is set to become "the dominant foreign policy issue" over the next two years. She highlighted the combined risks of AI, climate change, irregular migration, and foreign interference as threats to Western liberal democracy. The foreign secretary also noted that the United States has permanently withdrawn from its role as a global arbiter, making international cooperation more urgent than ever.
The AI arms race and global security
Why Cooper's warning matters now
Cooper's intervention is significant not only because of her position but because of the timing. The essay offers the clearest and most comprehensive picture yet of her worldview as Labour figures maneuver for influence ahead of a likely leadership transition. In a separate interview with Sky News, Cooper also criticized "boysy public commentary and briefings" at Number 10, describing them as the "legacy of the last three decades" and welcoming Andy Burnham's desire to change that culture.
The foreign secretary's warning echoes concerns raised by other world leaders and tech executives about the pace of AI development. She drew a direct parallel to the nuclear age, noting that international agreement on atomic weapons came only after the world witnessed the devastation of Hiroshima. "We cannot afford to wait for an AI equivalent of Hiroshima before we act," she wrote.
Cooper identified multiple fronts where AI poses immediate risks: malicious actors, including state-backed criminal groups, extremist organizations, and terror networks, are already exploiting emerging technologies for hybrid threats. She stressed that the risks are not hypothetical but are already materializing.
Political maneuvering and the Burnham factor
Cooper's precarious position
Cooper's high-profile warning comes as she faces an uncertain future in the Foreign Office. Sources suggest that former Labour leader David Miliband is being tipped for a return to the role, possibly displacing Cooper in a reshuffle under Andy Burnham. Miliband is scheduled to deliver his own foreign policy lecture on Thursday, titled "Power and its missing guardrails," which is expected to outline his vision for the Foreign Office.
Cooper's Chatham House essay is widely seen as an attempt to cement her legacy and demonstrate her strategic thinking at a time when her position is considered "at-risk." The foreign secretary has been a prominent figure in Labour politics for decades, but the shifting dynamics within the party have put her future under scrutiny.
Despite the internal pressure, Cooper remains active on the global stage. She recently wished the United States a happy 250th anniversary as the country celebrated Independence Day, underscoring the importance of the transatlantic alliance in addressing shared challenges like AI governance.
Broader implications: A dangerous moment for global order
What Cooper's worldview means
Cooper's essay paints a picture of a world at a dangerous inflection point. She argues that the combination of AI proliferation, climate crisis, irregular migration, and foreign interference represents an unprecedented challenge to Western liberal democracy. The permanent withdrawal of the United States from its role as a global arbiter, she contends, has left a vacuum that must be filled by multilateral cooperation among other powers, including China.
The foreign secretary's framing of AI as a "Hiroshima-style" threat is deliberately provocative, drawing on the most powerful historical analogy available to underscore the gravity of the moment. It also serves to position her as a serious thinker on existential risks, potentially strengthening her hand in any future leadership contest or cabinet reshuffle.
Cooper's warning also highlights the growing urgency of establishing international norms for AI before the technology advances beyond the point where governance is feasible. Without such rules, she argues, the world risks sleepwalking into a catastrophe that could dwarf even the most destructive conflicts of the past.
As the Labour Party navigates its internal dynamics and the broader geopolitical landscape shifts, Cooper's essay serves as a reminder that foreign policy choices made today will shape the security environment for decades to come. Whether her call for global AI rules will be heeded remains an open question, but the foreign secretary has made it clear that inaction is not an option.
In related news, the US has launched retaliatory strikes on more than 80 targets in Iran as punishment for Tehran's attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the volatile global security environment Cooper describes. Meanwhile, the World Cup 2026 quarterfinals are set, with Spain, Argentina, and England among the eight teams remaining, offering a contrast to the grim warnings emanating from Westminster.
Cooper's essay is likely to reignite debate about the pace and direction of AI regulation, both within the UK and internationally. As she put it: "Across the world, people are feeling the same thing – there is amazing potential here, but there is also huge risk."
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