Thousands of Experts Demand Six-Month Pause on Giant AI Experiments
Over 31,000 signatories urge AI labs to halt the training of models more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. The open letter warns that an out-of-control race to build advanced AI poses profound risks to society and humanity.
Thousands of technology leaders, researchers, and concerned citizens sign an open letter demanding an immediate six-month pause on the training of artificial intelligence systems more powerful than GPT-4. The signatories argue that AI labs are currently locked in an out-of-control race to develop digital minds that no one, not even their creators, can understand, predict, or reliably control. They emphasize that advanced AI represents a profound change in the history of life on Earth and requires commensurate care and resources that are currently lacking.
The letter raises serious ethical and societal questions about the rapid pace of AI development, asking whether society should allow machines to flood information channels with propaganda or automate away all fulfilling jobs. It highlights the extreme risk of developing nonhuman minds that could eventually outnumber, outsmart, and replace humans, leading to a potential loss of control over our civilization. The authors insist that such monumental decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders without broader societal consensus.
During the proposed six-month moratorium, the letter calls for AI labs and independent experts to jointly develop shared safety protocols that independent outside experts rigorously audit and oversee. If the industry fails to enact this public and verifiable pause quickly, the signatories urge governments to step in and institute a mandatory moratorium. The overarching goal is to ensure that developers are confident the effects of powerful AI systems will be positive and their risks manageable before any further scaling occurs.