In a rare cross-ideological alliance, right-wing U.S. commentators Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck have joined AI pioneers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio in calling for a worldwide ban on developing superintelligent artificial intelligence until the technology can be proven safe.
The appeal was organized by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), a non-profit that has spent the past decade warning of potential dangers posed by advanced AI systems. Founded in 2014 with early backing from Elon Musk and Jaan Tallinn, the group said the new statement represents “a shared human concern that transcends politics.”
Signatories—including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, and former Irish President Mary Robinson—argue that AI systems capable of surpassing human intellect should not be developed until global safety standards and public consent mechanisms are in place.
The call comes amid a surge of investment in generative AI and large language models, which some scientists warn could evolve into autonomous systems with unpredictable capabilities. The Biden administration and major U.S. tech firms have so far rejected formal pauses, prioritizing competitiveness with China and continued innovation.
Observers say the endorsement of an AI moratorium by populist figures like Bannon suggests a growing split within the political right over the social consequences of automation and corporate control.
FLI’s statement warns that “without guardrails, the race to superintelligence may endanger human civilization itself.” The organization hopes the declaration will prompt the United Nations to consider a binding international framework on AI safety.
