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 it can be developed safely, and without human extinction risk.

Sign the declaration

The Humanity Decides Declaration

Humanity should decide.

We, the undersigned, call on governments worldwide to prevent the development of artificial superintelligence until:

  1. 1.There is broad scientific consensus, established through independent and transparent review, that it can be developed and controlled safely.
  2. 2.The public has had a meaningful democratic opportunity to decide whether humanity should proceed.

AI can offer enormous benefits. We support its continued use and development. But creating an intelligence more capable and powerful than all of humanity is a decision with existential consequences for everyone.

This decision cannot be made by a small number of companies, governments or individuals on all of humanity’s behalf.

Until those conditions are met, we ask governments to pause the race to 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 could affect economics, security, political power and human control over the future.

Nobody knows with certainty what the consequences would be.

That is why the decision should not belong to a handful of companies or governments.

Humanity should decide.

Who gets to decide?

Today, decisions about increasingly powerful AI systems are being made primarily 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 been given 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 ending ordinary AI research or beneficial AI applications.
  • 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 of safety and the public has had a meaningful say.

One person. One signature.

Every signature in our headline count is verified.

We use email verification, automated bot protection, abuse detection and additional review for suspicious activity. Fraudulent signatures are removed.

Our methodology is public.

Read our methodology

Pass it on.

Most people have never been asked whether humanity should build superintelligence. Send this to three who should be.

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

XLinkedInFacebookWhatsAppEmail

Should humanity have a say?

Sign the declaration