A strange bedfellows coalition of unlikely public figures has come together to push for a halt on artificial intelligence development. Leading the charge to warn the world of superintelligence’s possible dangers are Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. The letter, organized by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, was released on Wednesday and has garnered significant attention due to the high-profile individuals involved.
Signatories include Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX. So is Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple computer. The signers on the letter are equally as remarkable. Among them are Richard Branson, the British billionaire and founder of the Virgin Group, Mike Mullen, former Chair of U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Susan Rice, Democratic foreign policy expert, and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland. High profile advocates like Stephen Fry, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and musician will.i.am are leading the charge. They are joined by American conservative commentators Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck who have both endorsed it.
The effort is aimed at big tech firms such as Google, OpenAI and Meta Platforms. It calls on them to revise their strategy to AI development. The committee emphasizes the public demand for strong, enforceable safety protections related to technologies that are capable of ending human life as we know it.
As Prince Harry said during his visit, the key now is making sure that all the advancements with AI put humanity first. He stated,
“The future of AI should serve humanity, not replace it. I believe the true test of progress will be not how fast we move, but how wisely we steer. There is no second chance.”
This statement is a reflection of the other signatories’ fears about the accelerated speed of AI advancements outpacing development of proper safeguards.
Stuart Russell, a pioneer of AI research, commented on the governing proposal’s form, saying,
“This is not a ban or even a moratorium in the usual sense. It’s simply a proposal to require adequate safety measures for a technology that, according to its developers, has a significant chance to cause human extinction. Is that too much to ask?”
The letter advocates for a more cautious approach toward AI technologies that mimic human behavior or engage in potentially harmful activities. To put a finer point on these negative AI applications, actor and entrepreneur Joseph Gordon-Levitt recently described his worries this way:
“Yeah, we want specific AI tools that can help cure diseases, strengthen national security, etc., But does AI also need to imitate humans, groom our kids, turn us all into slop junkies and make zillions of dollars serving ads? Most people don’t want that.”
These signatories all have unique backgrounds. They are united in their belief that creating more powerful AI systems requires the most stringent ethical standards and safety measures. Max Tegmark is a cosmologist and co-founder of the Future of Life Institute. He noted that the competitive pressures in the tech space lead companies to prioritize speed over safety.
So Michio and I both were really empathizing very strongly with them. Or maybe they’re just cornered into a dangerous race to the bottom under constant pressure to go further and faster and not get left behind by the competition.
One thing that Abrams made clear was the strange bedfellows coalition that was developing on this issue. In previous years, talks about AI in the public sphere only featured tech experts.
“In the past it’s been the geeks vs the geeks mostly,” he added.
The letter’s release comes at a time when concerns about AI and its potential impacts on society have reached new heights. As we know, tech industries are changing rapidly. Leaders from all sectors are calling for immediate, proactive measures so that breakthroughs can serve humanity’s best interests.
