Godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and 800+ scientists, celebrities sign open letter against OpenAI, Meta's superintelligent AI mission

Over 800 prominent figures spanning technology, politics, entertainment and science have signed an extraordinary open letter demanding an immediate halt to . The coalition, announced by the Future of Life Institute, includes AI godfather , Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon. Five Nobel laureates, ex-military leaders, and celebrities like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and will.i.am have also lent their names to the cause.

Their message is simple: "a prohibition on the development of superintelligence" until there is "broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably" and "strong public buy-in." Superintelligence refers to AI systems that would exceed human intelligence at all cognitive tasks—technology that organizers believe could arrive in as little as one to two years.


"The future of AI should serve humanity, not replace it," Prince Harry said in his statement. "The true test of progress will be not how fast we move, but how wisely we steer."

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt offered a more pointed critique: "Yeah, we want specific AI tools that can help cure diseases, strengthen national security, etc. But does AI also need to imitate humans, groom our kids, turn us all into slop junkies and make zillions of dollars serving ads? Most people don't want that."

Public opposes AI race, polling reveals

The timing reflects mounting alarm that superintelligence—AI surpassing human capability across all cognitive tasks—could arrive within one to two years. Yet polling released with the letter shows a stunning disconnect: 64% of Americans believe such systems shouldn't be built until proven safe, while just 5% support the current breakneck pace of development.

Anthony Aguirre, the institute's executive director, argues that "a small number of very wealthy companies" are choosing humanity's path forward without consulting anyone else. "No one's really asked almost anybody else, 'Is this what we want?'" he told TIME.

Tech giants race ahead despite safety concerns

The appeal comes as Silicon Valley's biggest players accelerate their pursuit of artificial general intelligence and beyond. Meta's Mark Zuckerberg declared superintelligence "now in sight" last July. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expects it by 2030. Companies are pouring hundreds of billions into AI infrastructure this year alone.

Even one OpenAI employee, Leo Gao, broke ranks to sign—a notable defection from a company Altman calls a "superintelligence research company."

The statement represents the Future of Life Institute's second major intervention. A 2023 letter calling for a six-month AI pause failed to slow development, prompting this more focused campaign targeting superintelligence specifically.