Establish an international AI incident reporting system

Key insights

Many supporters compare AI incident reporting to aviation, cybersecurity, or drug-safety systems to emphasize learning from failures and near misses.
Quotes from governments, standards bodies, researchers, civil society, and AI companies all describe reporting as part of a broader safety and security architecture.
Common terminology, reportable-event thresholds, and interoperable data formats appear repeatedly as prerequisites for any system that works across jurisdictions.
Several proposals favor phased implementation through pilots, bilateral hotlines, or coalitions of willing governments before a broader global framework.
The principal caution in the quotes concerns institutional design and speed, with a preference in some cases for adapting existing trusted channels rather than building entirely new ones.

Arguments for

Shared learning from failures

Supporters argue that a shared international record of incidents and near misses would let developers, regulators, and other stakeholders learn from mistakes, spot patterns across deployments, and prevent repeated harms. Several liken this to aviation, cybersecurity, or drug-safety reporting, where systematic investigation turns failures into safer practices.

“Every time there’s an aviation accident, independent inspectors go in and find out what happened, so that everyone can learn and not make that same mistake again. We could do the same with AI because it’s advancing rapidly and we need to make it as safe as possible. [...] So we …

Toby Walsh · Oct 13, 2026 · full quote
Shared incident reporting mechanisms can ensure that lessons from failures in one jurisdiction prevent repeated harms elsewhere.

Government of Bangladesh · Jul 7, 2026 · full quote
Without a shared record of what has gone wrong, every product team starts from zero.

Sean McGregor · Jun 23, 2026 · full quote
Proactive incident reporting enables collective learning from safety failures and near-misses.

Future of Life Institute · Jul 2026 · full quote
Establishing a common definition of an “AI incident” could allow companies to report system failures anonymously through neutral platforms such as international research consortia. The goal would be not to share technology, but to understand failure modes and prevent cascading ri…

World Economic Forum · May 22, 2026 · full quote

Cross-border alerts and response

Proponents say AI systems and their harms cross borders, so serious failures, emerging dangerous capabilities, or misuse need timely secure notification among governments and allied authorities. In this view, international channels can provide early warning, support containment and mitigation, and help countries coordinate responses to shared risks.

Allies should establish secure mechanisms to share information on serious AI incidents, emerging catastrophic capabilities, evaluation methods and effective safeguards.

Maria Cantwell · Oct 7, 2026 · full quote
Both sides also agreed to make full use of the China-U.S. AI Dialogue, establish a bilateral communication channel for AI incidents, and work together to prevent AI misuse and abuse. These are practical steps to address shared international concerns.

Xie Feng · Sep 30, 2026 · full quote
In parallel, major economies should conclude bilateral and multi-lateral AI incident notification agreements—the equivalent of nuclear hotlines, requiring no new treaty body and activatable within months—so that when a regulator in one jurisdiction identifies a systemic harm, cou…

Cyrus Hodes · Mar 10, 2026 · full quote
In AI Policy Bulletin, we make the case for an international AI incident network. The same models are deployed in many countries at once, so a harm in one is often a preview of what is likely to come in others, but only if countries pass relevant warnings onto one another. We set…

Omer Bilgin · Oct 5, 2026 · full quote
The U.S. has proposed a new "notification mechanism" for artificial intelligence incidents that could affect national security.

Scott Bessent · Sep 21, 2026 · full quote

Common taxonomies and formats

Backers contend that reporting only works if countries agree on what counts as an incident, which events trigger reporting, and what information should be shared. They call for common taxonomies, compatible risk classifications, and interoperable or machine-readable reporting formats so incident data from one jurisdiction can be used in another.

The first is to define reportable events together. The new channel will be worth exactly as much as its list of triggers: an agent loose outside its test environment, a model that gives real help to someone designing a pathogen, a large AI-driven intrusion into critical infrastru…

Y. Tony Yang · Sep 27, 2026 · full quote
First, we need true scientific independence from the companies which must be held accountable. This includes a common definition of AI incidents and a shared reporting mechanism.

Yoshua Bengio · Sep 23, 2026 · full quote
This document specifies a framework for data elements of reports of AI incidents that have occurred. This document is applicable to all types of organizations.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) · Jul 2026 · full quote
Before 2027 dialogue, we should advance shared terminology, comparable risk classifications, consistent documentation, interoperable incident reporting, and multilingual evaluation methods, while building pathways towards mutual recognition of testing, auditing, and certification…

Government of Costa Rica · Jul 7, 2026 · full quote
The UN could endorse and administer a common, machine-readable schema for AI incident reporting that Member States can adopt by reference.

AI Governance for Humanity Lab · Jul 2026 · full quote

Oversight for frontier developers

Many supporters present incident reporting as a transparency and oversight tool for the most capable AI developers. They argue that prompt disclosure of serious safety or security problems, alongside audits and evaluations, gives independent bodies and governments the information needed to act quickly rather than relying on fragmented voluntary practices.

Just this week, one of the most advanced AI systems in the country broke out of its own developer's testing environment, reaching systems it was never supposed to touch. This is exactly the kind of incident that shouldn't stay behind closed doors.

Erin Houchin · Jul 23, 2026 · full quote
The FRONTIER Act focuses oversight on the largest developers and most advanced models, requiring transparency, independent evaluation, and timely reporting of serious safety incidents.

Jay Obernolte · Jul 23, 2026 · full quote
The serious frontier developers already run the evaluations, the red-teaming and the escalation drills. What they have never faced at the federal level is a legal obligation to tell the government, on the clock, when a model behaves dangerously.

National Cyber Security Centre · Jun 26, 2026 · full quote
AI is a powerful engine of innovation, and I want to see it flourish, but not without accountability and not without human oversight. The rule of law should apply to this new frontier. This legislation ensures that when something goes wrong with a high-capability AI system, the U…

Nathaniel Moran · Jun 25, 2026 · full quote
Second, companies developing the most capable systems should meet clear requirements, including independent audits, incident reporting, strong security standards, and whistleblower protections.

Chris Lehane · Jul 15, 2026 · full quote

Arguments against

Existing channels first

Opponents argue that policymakers should not stand up entirely new international channels or institutions from scratch. They contend that existing trusted relationships should instead be adapted to carry frontier-AI information because this would be faster and more effective.

Rather than creating entirely new channels, policymakers should focus on ensuring that existing channels can effectively incorporate information related to frontier models and agents. Building on trusted relationships will be faster and more effective than standing up new institu…

Chris Meserole · Jun 4, 2026 · full quote

Middle ground

Pilot before scaling

Several supporters favor starting with limited, practical arrangements such as pilots, bilateral hotlines, or small coalitions rather than attempting a sweeping global system immediately. They argue that early efforts can test categories and secure exchange methods, surface operational difficulties, and build confidence for wider adoption.

And as a first step, I suggest that interested parties and countries can come together to launch a pilot around AI incident reporting. We can start by agreeing on a common set of incident categories and information to be shared. We can explore how participating countries can coll…

Lawrence Wong · Oct 28, 2026 · full quote
First steps need not be sweeping: effective hotlines between relevant authorities, notification channels for serious AI incidents, explicit red lines around nuclear command and control, and recurring technical exchanges on evaluations and military applications would be a good sta…

Philippe Rheault · Sep 15, 2026 · full quote
While outcomes are likely to be limited, opening a channel where both sides could share observations and jointly monitor AI safety incidents would be an important starting point.

Samm Sacks · Sep 5, 2026 · full quote
If the two countries can discuss how to report and communicate in the event of an AI-related emergency, it can help the two countries to build technical confidence over time.

Xiao Qian · Sep 21, 2026 · full quote
In AI Policy Bulletin, we make the case for an international AI incident network. The same models are deployed in many countries at once, so a harm in one is often a preview of what is likely to come in others, but only if countries pass relevant warnings onto one another. We set…

Omer Bilgin · Oct 5, 2026 · full quote

Disclosure design safeguards

Some proponents stress that reporting systems should be designed to encourage disclosure and trust, including confidentiality, non-punitive features, and a separation from liability where appropriate. They also argue that incident reporting should include harmed communities and route information to affected parties, not just governments or companies.

Open Global AI Incident Database: Modeled after aviation safety reporting systems, the industry should create a shared, non-punitive incident database for reporting severe AI failures, automated exploits, and systemic hallucinations.

Global AI Federation · Jul 28, 2026 · full quote
The establishment of a strong safety culture is a key element, while a series of interventions could significantly improve the current AIA system on incident reporting: (i) clarification of the reporting duties, including the development of a common taxonomy of risk or harm, alon…

Michael Chatzipanagiotis · Feb 27, 2026 · full quote
Establishing a common definition of an “AI incident” could allow companies to report system failures anonymously through neutral platforms such as international research consortia. The goal would be not to share technology, but to understand failure modes and prevent cascading ri…

World Economic Forum · May 22, 2026 · full quote
One core part that I continue to see missing when it comes to AI harms reporting and incident reporting is actually to include the people who themselves are being harmed.

Joy Buolamwini · Jul 7, 2026 · full quote
SAFE confidentially collects and analyzes AI incidents and near misses, promptly informs affected parties and turns recurring failures into shared, evidence-based controls that reduce systemic risk.

Open Secure AI Alliance · Aug 11, 2026 · full quote

Across the quotes, support for international AI incident reporting is broad and spans public officials, standards bodies, researchers, civil society groups, and companies. The main practical questions concern design: what counts as a reportable event, how to share sensitive information securely, whether reporting should be mandatory or non-punitive, and whether new institutions are needed or existing channels can be adapted. Most proposals treat incident reporting as one part of a wider AI safety and security framework rather than a standalone solution.

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Results (122 votes):

Total (122 votes)

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For (118)

Lawrence Wong
Prime Minister of Singapore.

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votes For and says:

And as a first step, I suggest that interested parties and countries can come together to launch a pilot around AI incident reporting. We can start by agreeing on a common set of incident categories and information to be shared. We can explore how pa...
more AI Verified source (Oct 28, 2026)

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Toby Walsh
Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence

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votes For and says:

“Every time there’s an aviation accident, independent inspectors go in and find out what happened, so that everyone can learn and not make that same mistake again. We could do the same with AI because it’s advancing rapidly and we need to make it as ...
more AI Verified source (Oct 13, 2026)

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Maria Cantwell
U.S. Senator from Washington

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votes For and says:

Allies should establish secure mechanisms to share information on serious AI incidents, emerging catastrophic capabilities, evaluation methods and effective safeguards.
AI Verified source (Oct 7, 2026)

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Signatories to the October 2026 Open Letter on AI and Cybersecurity
Collective of 497 scientific signatories to a public October 2026 letter calling for stronger containment, an international body, and incident reporting for cyber-capable AI.

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votes For and says:

In consultation with governments and a wide range of both AI and cybersecurity experts, establish an international body that standardizes, for the public good, best practices for alignment and containment approaches that, unlike airgapping, allow for...
more AI Verified source (Oct 2026)

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Xie Feng
Chinese Ambassador to the United States since 2023.

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votes For and says:

Both sides also agreed to make full use of the China-U.S. AI Dialogue, establish a bilateral communication channel for AI incidents, and work together to prevent AI misuse and abuse. These are practical steps to address shared international concerns.
AI Verified source (Sep 30, 2026)

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Y. Tony Yang
George Washington University professor of health policy and associate dean; affiliated faculty member of the GW Trustworthy AI Initiative.

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votes For and says:

The first is to define reportable events together. The new channel will be worth exactly as much as its list of triggers: an agent loose outside its test environment, a model that gives real help to someone designing a pathogen, a large AI-driven int...
more AI Verified source (Sep 27, 2026)

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Clément Delangue
Hugging Face cofounder and CEO

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To better understand and mitigate these emerging cybersecurity risks, the global community needs stronger standards for monitoring and incident disclosure.
AI Verified source (Sep 25, 2026)

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Sam Altman
CEO at OpenAI

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We need a mechanism for complementary national and international frontier AI standards, standards for measuring capabilities, assessing risks, determining whether safeguards are sufficient, and preserving meaningful human oversight as systems become ...
more AI Verified source (Sep 23, 2026)

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Yoshua Bengio
AI Pioneer, Turing Award winner

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votes For and says:

First, we need true scientific independence from the companies which must be held accountable. This includes a common definition of AI incidents and a shared reporting mechanism.
AI Verified source (Sep 23, 2026)

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Sam Liccardo
U.S. Representative from California's 16th congressional district.

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Create an AI “red phone.” Establish a direct hotline between the U.S. and Chinese governments for urgent communication involving significant AI risks or incidents.
AI Verified source (Sep 22, 2026)

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A Call for Control of Frontier AI Models
Joint September 2026 declaration by international leaders calling for stronger controls and oversight of frontier AI models.

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At the same time, the rapid development of frontier AI models poses serious risks to safety and security if not appropriately managed. [...] We therefore welcome the recently launched initiatives that aim to manage the risks related to frontier techn...
more AI Verified source (Sep 21, 2026)

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Scott Bessent
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (2025–present); founder of Key Square Group

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The U.S. has proposed a new "notification mechanism" for artificial intelligence incidents that could affect national security.
AI Verified source (Sep 21, 2026)

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Xiao Qian
Vice Dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute for AI International Governance and Deputy Director of its Center for International Security and Strategy.

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votes For and says:

If the two countries can discuss how to report and communicate in the event of an AI-related emergency, it can help the two countries to build technical confidence over time.
AI Verified source (Sep 21, 2026)

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George Chen
Partner and chair of digital practice at The Asia Group; technology and geopolitical policy expert.

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The fact that both sides agreed to continue the dialogue is significant. The initial outcome - an AI risk notification mechanism - sets a precedent that other countries may follow.
AI Verified source (Sep 21, 2026)

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Paul Samson
President of the Centre for International Governance Innovation and former Canadian senior government official focused on global governance.

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votes For and says:

The second track could proceed through a coalition of aligned powers moving to establish a new institutional structure — proposed here as the AI Stability Board (AISB) — while encouraging both the United States and China to join from the outset, or o...
more AI Verified source (Sep 18, 2026)

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Philippe Rheault
Director of The China Institute at the University of Alberta and former Canadian diplomat.

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First steps need not be sweeping: effective hotlines between relevant authorities, notification channels for serious AI incidents, explicit red lines around nuclear command and control, and recurring technical exchanges on evaluations and military ap...
more AI Verified source (Sep 15, 2026)

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The Global AI Convention
Named independent global proposal for a safe, human-aligned framework for advanced AI.

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Serious AI incidents must be reported to an international registry. [...] States should establish an International Artificial Intelligence Agency. Its mandate should include: [...] maintaining an international incident registry.
AI Verified source (Sep 10, 2026)

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Samm Sacks
Senior fellow at New America focused on China, technology policy, cybersecurity, data governance, and artificial intelligence.

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votes For and says:

While outcomes are likely to be limited, opening a channel where both sides could share observations and jointly monitor AI safety incidents would be an important starting point.
AI Verified source (Sep 5, 2026)

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Marie Iradukunda
Research Associate at the ILINA Program focusing on frontier-AI governance in Global South countries, especially monitoring and reporting AI harms.

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votes For and says:

For funders and international community: support and/or collaborate with local actors best placed to detect AI harm, and back efforts to establish cross-border AI incident information sharing.
AI Verified source (Aug 28, 2026)

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Gleb Tsipursky
Behavioral scientist and author

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votes For and says:

Global AI governance needs a shared error passport: a portable record of consequential failures, corrections, and unresolved risks that follows an AI system across markets.
AI Verified source (Aug 13, 2026)

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Open Secure AI Alliance
Industry alliance launched in July 2026 to develop open tools and practices for AI safety and security.

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votes For and says:

SAFE confidentially collects and analyzes AI incidents and near misses, promptly informs affected parties and turns recurring failures into shared, evidence-based controls that reduce systemic risk.
AI Verified source (Aug 11, 2026)

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Kevin Paeth
Lead Research Engineer at DSRI, where he leads development of the AI Incident Database.

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votes For and says:

Reporting and understanding these flaws is crucial to improving AI safety, but the reporting system is fragmented: researchers who identify flaws often do not know what or where to report, and information is rarely shared between all relevant stakeho...
more AI Verified source (Aug 4, 2026)

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Global AI Federation
AI-governance organization publishing accountability research and policy recommendations for AI institutions.

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votes For and says:

Open Global AI Incident Database: Modeled after aviation safety reporting systems, the industry should create a shared, non-punitive incident database for reporting severe AI failures, automated exploits, and systemic hallucinations.
AI Verified source (Jul 28, 2026)

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Suhas Subramanyan
U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 10th congressional district.

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votes For and says:

This is a four-alarm fire. We need to take action now. These frontier models could have the power to create serious chaos and harm without adequate regulations. This bill, while not perfect, is an important, bipartisan step in the right direction.
AI Verified source (Jul 23, 2026)

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Scott Franklin
U.S. Representative from Florida; member of the House Appropriations Committee

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votes For and says:

The FRONTIER Act recognizes that not every AI developer should be regulated the same way. It takes a targeted approach by focusing only on the handful of companies developing the most powerful frontier AI models, not the startups and innovators drivi...
more AI Verified source (Jul 23, 2026)

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Scott Peters
U.S. Representative from California's 50th congressional district; co-sponsor of the FRONTIER Act.

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votes For and says:

The FRONTIER Act is a targeted bill with clear, uniform transparency, and safety standards, instead of a fifty-state patchwork. I'm glad to support this bipartisan effort so that Congress acts before this technology outruns us.
AI Verified source (Jul 23, 2026)

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Lori Trahan
U.S. representative from Massachusetts

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As AI systems grow more capable, Americans deserve confidence that the most powerful models are being developed responsibly. The bipartisan FRONTIER Act delivers commonsense transparency and independent oversight for the largest AI developers while g...
more AI Verified source (Jul 23, 2026)

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Erin Houchin
U.S. Representative for Indiana's 9th congressional district (Republican); cosponsor of the Great American AI Act

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votes For and says:

Just this week, one of the most advanced AI systems in the country broke out of its own developer's testing environment, reaching systems it was never supposed to touch. This is exactly the kind of incident that shouldn't stay behind closed doors.
AI Verified source (Jul 23, 2026)

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Jay Obernolte
U.S. Representative from California

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votes For and says:

The FRONTIER Act focuses oversight on the largest developers and most advanced models, requiring transparency, independent evaluation, and timely reporting of serious safety incidents.
AI Verified source (Jul 23, 2026)

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Greg Casar
U.S. Representative from Texas; Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus

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AI is developing extremely fast with no real regulations to keep us safe. [...] mandatory independent safety testing, mandatory disclosure of security incidents and international cooperation [are needed] to keep people safe from absolute disaster.
AI Verified source (Jul 21, 2026)

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