More than 800 prominent figures from across politics, technology, entertainment and academia have signed an unprecedented open letter demanding an immediate halt to the development of artificial intelligence “superintelligence” until safety can be guaranteed. The diverse coalition, organized by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, includes an unlikely mix of signatories ranging from British royalty to conservative media personalities, all united by concerns that AI systems surpassing human intelligence could pose existential threats to humanity.
The statement, released Wednesday, features signatures from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle alongside former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, demonstrating the broad appeal of AI safety concerns across traditional political boundaries. Other notable signatories include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, Nobel Prize-winning AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton, and former Obama administration National Security Advisor Susan Rice.
“The future of AI should serve humanity, not replace it,” Prince Harry stated in a personal message accompanying his signature. “I believe the true test of progress will be not how fast we move, but how wisely we steer. There is no second chance.”
The coalition also includes AI pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton, both Turing Award recipients widely regarded as “godfathers” of modern artificial intelligence. Their participation carries particular weight given their foundational role in developing the technology they now seek to restrict.
