AI · SEMICONDUCTOR · FACT CHECK

SKD WIRE

EN WIRE · 2026-10-21 15:29

WHO chief: AI's potential should be maximally harnessed, but "how the knife is wielded is up to humans"

Mostly True

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that AI's potential should be utilized to the maximum, while stressing that the choice of how that power is used — likened to a knife — rests with humans, not the technology itself.

원문 주장 (KR)
WHO 사무총장이 "AI 잠재력 최대 활용…칼 어떻게 쓸지는 인간 몫"이라고 말했다

A double-edged tool

Speaking on AI, the WHO chief described the technology as holding enormous potential that should be actively embraced rather than avoided. At the same time, he used the metaphor of a knife to underline that AI is a tool whose impact depends on the intent and choices of the people wielding it.

The remark framed AI governance as a question of human responsibility: the technology's capacity can serve public benefit, but its direction is determined by human decisions.

Uncertainty over exact context

The precise venue and full wording of the remarks were not fully specified in the available material, and details beyond the core statement remain unconfirmed. The essence of the claim — that the WHO chief called for maximizing AI's potential while leaving the decision of "how to use the knife" to humans — is consistent with the reported remarks.

Verdict: Mostly True

Sources — primary documents (12)
  1. https://www.mohw.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10503010100&bid=0027&act=view&list_no=1492288&nPage=1
  2. https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2026/10/21/default-calendar/world-bio-summit-2026
  3. https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20261021091600530
  4. https://www.sedaily.com/article/20104299
  5. https://en.sedaily.com/technology/2026/10/21/who-chief-urges-wider-use-of-medical-ai-with-safeguards
  6. https://www.newsway.co.kr/news/view?ud=2026102113510092413
  7. https://www.mt.co.kr/thebio/2026/10/21/2026102113164978526
  8. https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20261021_0003835227
  9. https://www.ajupress.com/view/20261021134706100
  10. https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches
  11. https://x.com/DrTedros
  12. https://img5.yna.co.kr/photo/yna/YH/2026/10/21/PYH2026102109450001300_P4.jpg

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