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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have joined forces with artificial intelligence pioneers and Nobel Prize winners to advocate for a complete ban on developing superintelligent AI systems.

The royal couple are part of the group of a influential declaration that demands “a ban on the creation of superintelligence”. Artificial superintelligence (ASI) refers to artificial intelligence that could exceed human intelligence in every intellectual area, though this technology have not yet been developed.

Key Demands in the Statement

The declaration insists that the prohibition should stay active until there is “widespread expert agreement” on creating superintelligence “safely and controllably” and once “substantial public support” has been secured.

Notable individuals who endorsed the statement include AI pioneer and Nobel Prize recipient Geoffrey Hinton, along with his colleague and pioneer of modern AI, another AI expert; tech entrepreneur Steve Wozniak; British business magnate Richard Branson; Susan Rice; former Irish president Mary Robinson, and British author a public intellectual. Additional Nobel winners who endorsed include a peace advocate, Frank Wilczek, John C Mather, and Daron Acemoğlu.

Organizational Background

The declaration, targeted at national leaders, technology companies and policy makers, was organized by the FLI organization, a US-based AI safety group that earlier demanded a hiatus in advancing strong artificial intelligence in recent years, shortly after the emergence of ChatGPT made artificial intelligence a worldwide public discussion topic.

Tech Sector Views

In recent months, Mark Zuckerberg, the leader of the social media giant, one of the major AI developers in the United States, stated that development of superintelligence was “now in sight”. However, some experts have argued that discussions about superintelligence indicates market competition among technology firms investing enormous sums on artificial intelligence this year alone, rather than the industry being near reaching any technical breakthroughs.

Possible Dangers

However, FLI warns that the prospect of artificial superintelligence being achieved “in the coming decade” carries numerous risks ranging from eliminating all human jobs to losses of civil liberties, exposing countries to national security risks and even endangering mankind with existential risk. Existential fears about AI focus on the potential ability of a AI system to escape human oversight and safety guidelines and initiate events contrary to human interests.

Citizen Sentiment

The institute released a US national poll showing that about 75% of US citizens want robust regulation on sophisticated artificial intelligence, with six out of 10 believing that artificial superintelligence should not be created until it is demonstrated to be secure or controllable. The survey of 2,000 US adults added that only 5% backed the current situation of fast, unregulated development.

Industry Objectives

The leading AI companies in the United States, including the conversational AI creator OpenAI and the search giant, have made the creation of human-level AI – the hypothetical condition where artificial intelligence equals human cognitive capability at most cognitive tasks – an stated objective of their work. While this is slightly less advanced than superintelligence, some experts also warn it could pose an existential risk by, for instance, being able to enhance its own capabilities toward reaching superintelligent levels, while also presenting an underlying danger for the contemporary workforce.