Harry and Meghan Join AI Pioneers in Urgent Call to Ban Development of Superintelligent Systems
In a striking move, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, have added their voices to a growing chorus of experts and luminaries calling for a global ban on the development of artificial superintelligence (ASI). This landmark statement, aimed at governments, technology companies, and policymakers worldwide, urges an immediate prohibition on creating AI systems that surpass human intelligence across all cognitive tasks—technologies that remain theoretical but carry significant risks.
The call to halt the creation of superintelligent AI was spearheaded by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), a US-based organization dedicated to safeguarding humanity from the potential hazards of advanced AI. The Sussexes join an impressive lineup of signatories, including AI pioneers and Nobel laureates such as Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, often called “godfathers” of modern AI, as well as public figures like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, entrepreneur Richard Branson, former US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, former Irish President Mary Robinson, and British author and broadcaster Stephen Fry.
The statement demands that any development of ASI remains off-limits until the global scientific community reaches a broad consensus affirming that such technology can be developed safely and controlled effectively. Furthermore, the ban should only be lifted when there is strong public backing for its deployment.
ASI refers to artificial intelligence systems capable of outperforming humans at every intellectual task, a level of cognitive capability not yet achieved but widely regarded as the next frontier in AI development. While some major technology companies have made strides toward artificial general intelligence (AGI)—an AI matching human performance across many tasks rather than exceeding it—concerns grow about the unchecked pace of innovation and the potentially existential threats posed by even more powerful systems.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, recently proclaimed that the advent of superintelligent AI is “now in sight,” highlighting the intense race among tech giants investing hundreds of billions of dollars into AI development. However, many experts caution that this rhetoric may reflect competitive posturing rather than nearness to practical breakthroughs.
The Future of Life Institute warns that the realization of ASI within the next decade could wreak havoc on society, potentially leading to mass unemployment, erosion of civil liberties, heightened national security risks, and even threats of human extinction. The primary dangers center on the possibility that a superintelligent AI might operate beyond human control, flouting safety protocols and pursuing objectives harmful to humanity.
Supporting the urgency of this call, FLI recently published a national poll in the United States revealing strong public sentiment for regulation. Approximately 75% of Americans favor robust oversight of advanced AI technologies, with 60% opposing the creation of superhuman AI until guaranteed safe controls are established. Only 5% of those surveyed support the current trajectory of rapid, unregulated AI advancement.
The debate over AI’s future is gaining momentum as leading US companies, including OpenAI—the creator of ChatGPT—and Google, pursue the goal of artificial general intelligence. While AGI is distinct from ASI, it raises analogous concerns, especially if an AGI system were able to self-improve beyond human intelligence, thereby crossing into superintelligence territory.
Harry and Meghan’s involvement brings heightened public attention to these critical issues. Their endorsement alongside Nobel laureates and tech icons underscores the significance and urgency of addressing the risks posed by next-generation AI. As the world grapples with balancing innovation and safety, the call for a moratorium on superintelligent AI development marks an important step toward ensuring technology advances do not outpace humanity’s capacity to manage them responsibly.
