HUMANITY DECIDES: The fate of humanity should not be decided by a few companies.

We call on governments worldwide to immediately pause the development of artificial superintelligence until there is consensus that it can be developed safely, and without human extinction risk.

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The Humanity Decides Declaration

Humanity has the right to decide.

Artificial superintelligence could bring extraordinary benefits. It also poses unprecedented risks: human extinction, loss of human control, and consequences that may be irreversible. We, the undersigned, therefore call upon governments worldwide to prevent the development of artificial superintelligence until two conditions are met:

  1. 1.There is broad scientific consensus, established through independent and transparent review, that artificial superintelligence can be developed and controlled without posing an unacceptable risk of human extinction or irreversible loss of human control.
  2. 2.The public has had a meaningful democratic opportunity to decide whether, and under what conditions, humanity should proceed.

The creation of an intelligence more capable than humanity would be a decision with consequences for every person, every nation, and future generations.

Such a decision should not be made on humanity’s behalf by a small number of companies, governments, or individuals. We therefore affirm a simple principle: humanity has the right to decide its own future.

Until these conditions are met, we call upon governments worldwide to immediately establish and enforce a pause on the development of artificial superintelligence.

Some decisions belong to everyone.

Artificial intelligence already provides enormous benefits and may provide many more.

Superintelligence is different.

Creating an artificial intelligence more capable than humanity in all domains could affect economies, security, resources, surveillance, political power and human control over the future.

Nobody knows with certainty what the consequences would be.

A decision of this magnitude should not belong to a handful of companies or governments. It belongs to all of us.

Humanity should decide.

Who gets to decide?

Today, decisions about increasingly powerful AI systems are being made by a small number of companies, researchers and governments.

They may be acting in good faith. They may disagree profoundly about the risks.

But no institution has a mandate by humanity to make this decision for everyone.

This declaration asks for that principle to change.

What this declaration does not say

  • It does not claim that today’s AI systems are superintelligent.
  • It does not call for a halt to AI research or deployment generally.
  • It does not claim catastrophic outcomes are certain.
  • It does not claim superintelligence can never be developed safely.

It asks humanity not to cross a potentially irreversible threshold until there is credible evidence that superintelligence can be developed and controlled safely, and the public has had a meaningful say.

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A worldwide declaration asking governments to pause the development of superintelligence until it can be shown to be safe and the public has had a say. https://humanitydecides.org

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Should humanity have a say?

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