Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have joined a diverse coalition of prominent figures, including leading computer scientists, economists, artists, evangelical Christian leaders, and conservative commentators Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck, to advocate for a global prohibition on the development of AI “superintelligence.” This collective call, issued through a letter released by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, is specifically directed at major technology companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Meta Platforms, which are actively pursuing the creation of artificial intelligence systems designed to significantly outperform humans across virtually all cognitive tasks.

The core demand of the 30-word statement is unequivocal: “We call for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence, not lifted before there is broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably, and strong public buy-in.” The letter’s preamble acknowledges the potential for AI tools to bring about advancements in health and prosperity but concurrently highlights profound concerns. These range from the potential for human economic obsolescence and disempowerment, losses of freedom, civil liberties, dignity, and control, to grave national security risks and even the ominous prospect of human extinction.

Adding a personal dimension to the plea, Prince Harry stated, “The future of AI should serve humanity, not replace it. 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 list of signatories is notably broad, encompassing AI pioneers and Turing Award winners Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton, both of whom have been vocal about the dangers of the technology they helped create. Other prominent names include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, British billionaire Richard Branson, former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, Democratic foreign policy expert Susan Rice, former Irish President Mary Robinson, actors Stephen Fry and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and musician will.i.am.

The inclusion of figures like Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck was a strategic move by the Future of Life Institute, aiming to broaden the appeal of the letter to various political factions, including President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, even as Trump’s administration had previously sought to reduce limits on AI development. Joseph Gordon-Levitt articulated a common sentiment among critics, questioning whether AI needs to mimic humans, influence children, foster dependency, and primarily serve advertising interests, arguing that “Most people don’t want that.”

This letter is expected to intensify ongoing debates within the AI research community concerning the feasibility and hazards of superhuman artificial general intelligence (AGI). Max Tegmark, president of the Future of Life Institute and a professor at MIT, observed that the criticism of AI has become “very mainstream.” These broader discussions are further complicated by the tendency of some AI companies, while striving for superintelligence, to inflate the capabilities of their current products, contributing to concerns about an “AI bubble.” For instance, OpenAI faced ridicule when a researcher falsely claimed ChatGPT had solved unsolved math problems when it had merely summarized existing online solutions.

Despite instances of hype, Tegmark acknowledges that AI development has progressed far more rapidly than anticipated over the last four years. His group was also behind a March 2023 letter that urged tech giants to temporarily pause the development of more powerful AI models. That call went unheeded, with one of its most prominent signatories, Elon Musk, simultaneously founding his own AI startup. Tegmark expressed empathy for AI developers, suggesting they are caught in an “irresistible pressure” to maintain their competitive edge in a “race to the bottom.” He believes it is crucial to “stigmatize the race to superintelligence” to the point where government intervention becomes inevitable.