London, 0ct 22: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have joined leading scientists, policymakers, and public figures in calling for a global prohibition on the development of artificial “superintelligence” — advanced AI systems designed to surpass human cognitive abilities.
The open letter, released Wednesday by a politically and geographically diverse coalition, directly appeals to major technology firms such as Google, OpenAI, and Meta Platforms, which are engaged in a competitive race to build human-level AI.
The 30-word statement reads: “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 group warned that without such safeguards, the race toward superintelligent AI could lead to economic upheaval, loss of freedom, and even potential human extinction.
Prince Harry, in a personal note, wrote: “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.”
Among the signatories are AI pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton — both Turing Award winners — along with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, British billionaire Richard Branson, and former U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mike Mullen. Others include former Irish president Mary Robinson, actors Stephen Fry and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, musician will.i.am, and political figures from across Europe and the U.S.
“This is not a ban in the usual sense,” said Stuart Russell, a leading AI researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s a call to require adequate safety measures for a technology that, according to its developers, could cause human extinction. Is that too much to ask?”
The letter, organised by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, also features unlikely alliances — including conservative media figures Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck — in what organisers described as a deliberate effort to appeal across political divides.
Max Tegmark, president of the Future of Life Institute and professor at MIT, said the initiative signals a shift in public consciousness. “In the past, it’s mostly been the nerds versus the nerds,” he said. “What we’re seeing now is that the criticism has gone mainstream.”
