Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle added their names to a growing list of signers of a petition against artificial superintelligence, a technology that doesn't yet exist.
The Statement on Superintelligence was created by the Future of Life Institute, a non-profit that aims to steer technology toward benefitting life and away from large-scale risks. Its current concern is artificial intelligence. It took on the cause in 2023, soon after ChatGPT came to market and AI became more real for the general public.
The next level is likely artificial general intelligence, which is when AI performs the same as humans. Artificial superintelligence is when AI becomes smarter than humans. Neither has been developed yet, but tech companies are pushing in that direction.
The petition, aimed at governments, tech firms and lawmakers, states: "Many leading AI companies have the stated goal of building superintelligence in the coming decade that can significantly outperform all humans on essentially all cognitive tasks. This has raised concerns, ranging from human economic obsolescence and disempowerment, losses of freedom, civil liberties, dignity, and control, to national security risks and even potential human extinction. The succinct statement below aims to create common knowledge of the growing number of experts and public figures who oppose a rush to superintelligence."
