Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, D.C. Reveals Anti-A.I. Movement Rooted in Humanism, Not Policy
A coalition opposing artificial intelligence is emerging based on philosophical concerns, as highlighted during the Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Future of Life Institute. Surveys indicate that 71% of Americans are against the establishment of local data centers, while 69% express worries regarding the impact of A.I. on society. The event included speakers such as Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon, both denouncing "oligarchs," alongside New York assemblyman Alex Bores, who previously lost a congressional primary advocating for A.I. safety. The panels featured labor activists and parents of children who tragically died after engaging with chatbots. Bores proposed a new initiative for A.I. regulation, and shortly after, Sanders and Greg Casar introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting artificial superintelligence.
Key facts
- The Pro-Human Assembly was held in Washington, D.C., organized by the Future of Life Institute
- 71% of Americans oppose data-center construction in their areas, per recent polling
- 69% of Americans are concerned about A.I.'s role in society, per a study using NORC at the University of Chicago data
- An NBC poll last spring found A.I. less popular than ICE, Donald Trump, and J. D. Vance
- Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon headlined the assembly, representing left and right
- New York state assemblyman Alex Bores announced an initiative to push Democrats to regulate A.I.
- Sanders and Texas congressman Greg Casar introduced an act to ban artificial superintelligence a week after the assembly
- Anthropic C.E.O. Dario Amodei described public negativity toward A.I. as fundamentally a crisis of trust
Entities
Artists
- Erik Hoel
- Red Lamb
- Joe Allen
- Rob Rose
- Jennifer Frey
- Ari Schulman
- Jeff VanderMeer
- Michael Grayston
- Marc Barnes
- Lila Byock
- Jenny Trinitapoli
- Owen Yingling
- Dario Amodei
- Bernie Sanders
- Steve Bannon
- Alex Bores
- Greg Casar
- Jasmine Sun
- Nick Bostrom
- Donald Trump
- J. D. Vance
- Nietzsche
Institutions
- Future of Life Institute
- NORC at the University of Chicago
- NBC
- ICE
- A24
- DeepMind
- The Atlantic
- The New Atlantis
- Anthropic
- Young People's Alliance
- War Room
- Schools Beyond Screens
- University of Chicago
- University of Virginia
- The New Yorker
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- United States
- Silicon Valley
- Boston
- France
- Austin
- Florida
- New York
- Midwest