CONTACT
Chase Hardin
chase@futureoflife.org

NEW ORLEANS — Today, an extraordinary collection of organizations, including faith groups, conservative media voices, labor unions, progressive advocacy outfits, and AI thought leaders, issued a declaration to define the principles underpinning the growing pro-human movement. The declaration was written during multiple in-person workshops and finalized after the coalition gathered in New Orleans to ratify it.

“The pro-human movement is an immune response to Silicon Valley’s reckless race-to-replace humans” said FLI President and CEO, Anthony Aguirre. “AI companies have already rushed to deploy systems which have harmed children and ruined lives at a disturbing scale. They are poised to wreak havoc on the economy by eliminating jobs and concentrating extraordinary power within a handful of billionaires and their machines. The declaration will serve as a North Star for a powerful and growing movement of ordinary Americans who are fighting for a human future.”

The declaration includes 33 AI principles organized into five overarching themes:

1. Keeping Humans in Charge
2. Avoiding Concentration of Power
3. Protecting the Human Experience
4. Human Agency and Liberty
5. Responsibility and Accountability for AI Companies

Specific principles include no AI personhood, required “bot-or-not” labeling, and criminal liability for AI executives responsible for certain egregious AI harm. If adhered to, the 33 Pro-Human Principles would help ensure that AI systems produce a positive future for humanity.

“We can have a bright future. But only if we ensure that AI systems work for the good of the family, the good of the American worker, and the common good, and not against it. That’s what these principles for a Pro-Human future would accomplish,” said Michael Toscano, Senior Fellow and Director of the Family First Technology Initiative for the Institute for Family Studies. “Unfortunately, Silicon Valley and the federal government are engaged in a transhumanist project to supplant the human person and our families. They should change course immediately. These principles offer a better path to a brighter future for our families and every generation to come.”

Organizational supporters include the Institute for Family Studies, AFL-CIO Tech Institute, American Federation of Teachers, Congress of Christian Leaders, SAG-AFTRA, Progressive Democrats of America, G20 Interfaith Forum Association, Progressive Democrats of America, Parents RISE!, Public Citizen, Project Liberty and many others.

Individual endorsers include Steve Bannon (The War Room), Susan Rice (former US National Security Advisor), Ralph Nader (former presidential candidate), Meredith Whittaker (Signal Foundation), Johnnie Moore (Congress of Christian Leaders), Mike Kubzansky (Omidyar Network), Walter Kim (National Association of Evangelicals), and Glenn Beck (Blaze Media), along with AI thought leaders including as Yoshua Bengio, Stuart Russell, Tristan Harris, and over 100 others.

Polling conducted on the principles showed they are extremely popular with Americans across the political spectrum. 83% agreed with the most popular principle, “Humanity must remain in control of AI”, and 77% agreed with the second most popular, “Companies must not be allowed to exploit children or undermine their wellbeing through AI interactions that create emotional attachment or leverage.”

Earlier this month, the Future of Life Institute launched a new ad campaign called Protect What’s Human. The campaign, which will spend up to $8 million, will take the debate about AI out of Washington and Silicon Valley and engage the millions of Americans who are already feeling AI’s impact. The campaign is live in Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina.