A broad coalition of over 800 public figures, including tech industry pioneers, political operatives, celebrities, and academics, has signed...
A broad coalition of over 800 public figures, including tech industry pioneers, political operatives, celebrities, and academics, has signed an open letter calling for a ban on the development of "superintelligent" artificial intelligence. The letter argues that development should be paused until there is a clear scientific consensus that such technology can be created safely and controllably, and with strong public support.
Notable signatories include two of the "Godfathers of AI," Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, as well as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Virgin Group's Richard Branson. The diverse list also features names like former White House strategist Steve Bannon, musicians Will.I.am and Grimes, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan.
The statement, which was organized by the AI safety group Future of Life (FLI), voices significant concerns about the ongoing race to create AI that can "significantly outperform all humans on essentially all cognitive tasks." The letter cites a range of potential dangers, from widespread job loss leading to "human economic obsolescence" to risks against national security, loss of civil liberties, and even the potential for "total human extinction."
This call for caution appears to resonate with the general public. According to a recent US poll of 2,000 adults, nearly three-quarters of Americans support robust regulation on advanced AI, and six out of ten believe its creation should be halted until it is proven safe. The tech industry's "move fast and break things" mantra is reportedly supported by only 5% of the public.
Despite this growing concern, the tech world's most prominent leaders are pressing forward. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently predicted that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could arrive by 2030, with AI taking over as much as 40% of economic tasks in the near future. Similarly, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated his company is also pursuing superintelligence, framing it as a tool that will "empower" individuals.
While the letter represents a significant and diverse front of opposition, its ultimate impact remains uncertain. A similar open letter in 2023, which was signed by Elon Musk, had little to no discernible effect on slowing the rapid pace of AI development.
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