TOMORROW: the largest AI Safety protest ever!

By Holly_Elmore @ 2023-10-20T18:08 (+57)

Tomorrow, PauseAI and collaborators are putting on the largest AI Safety protest to date, across 7 locations in 6 countries. All are eagerly welcomed! 

Your presence at this protest is a rare impact opportunity when in-person volunteering is not fungible with money or intellectual support-- showing up is how we show the public our concern in a way that humans instinctively understand. Plus, we think it will be fun, with camaraderie and drinks afterward. It feels great to pluck new low-hanging fruit and flex different muscles in the fight for AI Safety.

October 21st (Saturday), in multiple countries

• US, California, San Francisco (facebook)
• US, Massachusetts, Boston (facebook)
• UK, Parliament Square, London (Sign up, facebook)
• Netherlands, Den Haag (Sign up)
• Australia, Melbourne (Sign up)
• Canada, Ottawa (Organized by Align the World, sign up on facebook or EventBrite)
• Denmark, Copenhagen (Facebook)
• Your country here? Discuss on discord!

Why we protest

AI is rapidly becoming more powerful, far faster than virtually any AI scientist has predicted. Billions are being poured into AI capabilities, and the results are staggering. New models are outperforming humans in a lot of domains. As capabilities increase, so do the risks. Scientists are even warning that AI might end up destroying humanity. This dire outcome not only seems possible, but also likely, as the average probability estimates for these outcomes range from 14% to 40%.

We need our leaders to listen to these warnings, but they are not taking this topic remotely as seriously as they should. There is AI safety legislation being drafted, but not a single measure would actually prevent or delay superintelligent AI. Over 70% wants to slow down AI, and over 60% want regulation to actively prevent superintelligent AI. Why is there no legislation draft that actually does this? The answer is lobbying: our politicians are mostly meeting AI company CEOs, and they will push policy measures that are in their interest.

On November 1st and 2nd, the very first AI Safety Summit will be held in the UK. The perfect opportunity to set the first steps towards sensible international AI safety regulation.

What we ask

• Policy makers: Don’t allow companies to build a superintelligence. Regulations and hardware restrictions should apply before training has started as it is very difficult to control dissemination once a new capability has been achieved. . We cannot allow companies to train potentially world-ending AI models. Writing legislation is hard, and it takes time, but we may not have that long, so work as if your life depends on it. Because it does.
• Companies: Many of you are scared of what AI can do, but you’re locked in a race. So be vocal about supporting a pause in principle. If you sign statements that this technology could kill us all, show the world that you’d prefer not to build it if it was a viable option.
• Summit invitees: Prioritize safety over economic growth. We know AI can make our countries richer, but that’s not why you’re summoned here. Be the adult in the room