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A group of prominent figures, including artificial intelligence and technology experts, has called for an end to efforts to create ‘superintelligence’ — a form of AI that would surpass human intellect.
Over 800 people, including tech leaders like Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, signed a statement published Wednesday calling for a pause in the development of superintelligence.
The list of signatories notably included prominent AI pioneers, including scientists like Yoshua Bengio and Geoff Hinton, who are widely considered “godfathers” of modern AI. Leading AI safety researchers like UC Berkeley’s Stuart Russell also signed on.
Superintelligence has become a buzzword in the AI world, as companies from xAI to OpenAI compete to release more advanced large language models. Meta notably has gone so far as to name its LLM division the ‘Meta Superintelligence Labs.’
But signatories of the recent statement warn that the prospect of superintelligence has “raised concerns, ranging from human economic obsolescence and disempowerment, losses of freedom, civil liberties, dignity, and control, to national security risks and even potential human extinction.”
The statement calls for a prohibition on superintelligence development until strong public buy-in and a broad scientific consensus that it can be done safely and controllably is reached.
In addition to the AI figures, the names behind the statement come from a broad coalition of academics, media personalities, religious leaders and ex-politicians.
Other prominent names include , former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, and British royal family member Meghan Markle. Prominent media allies to the U.S. President Donald Trump, including Steve Bannon and Glen Beck also signed on.
