Background and Purpose

A secret meeting was held at a New Orleans Marriott, bringing together roughly ninety political, community and thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The gathering was organized by Max Tegmark, co‑founder of the Future of Life Institute (FLI) and MIT professor, and conducted under Chatham House Rules, keeping the attendee list private.

The purpose was to craft a concise, five‑point Pro‑Human AI Declaration that would frame AI development around human welfare, child safety, community well‑being, and the prevention of power concentration.

Key Principles of the Declaration

The declaration outlines five guidelines:

• Humans must remain in charge of AI and protect children, families and communities.
• AI systems must not be granted legal personhood.
• Autonomous lethal weapons should not be solely AI‑powered.
• AI companies must not exploit children’s emotional attachment for profit.
• AI must not create monopolies or concentrate control in a few hands.

Even the least popular principle—preventing AI monopolies—received 94% approval from participants.

Broad Coalition of Signatories

The declaration quickly gathered support from a wide array of civil‑society groups. Major labor unions such as the AFL‑CIO Tech Institute and the American Federation of Teachers signed on, as did religious bodies like the G20 Interfaith Forum Association and the Congress of Christian Leaders. Political organizations including the Progressive Democrats of America also endorsed the document.

Individual signatories span the political spectrum: Democratic presidential candidate Ralph Nader, AFT president Randi Weingarten, Signal Foundation president Meredith Whittaker, media personality Glenn Beck, political strategist Steve Bannon, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, SAG‑AFTRA members and leaders of major evangelical groups.

Deliberate Exclusion of Industry Executives

FLI intentionally did not invite representatives from large AI corporations or figures like Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Emilia Javorsky, director of the Futures Program at FLI, explained that corporate interests tend to dominate such discussions, so the focus was placed on civil‑society actors who are directly impacted by AI disruption.

Public Reception and Polling

FLI commissioned a poll with Tavern Research to gauge voter support for the declaration’s principles. Respondents, split along partisan lines, overwhelmingly backed the statements, with the most popular principle—human control of AI—receiving 80% support and the principle against AI monopolies still garnering 69% support.

Implications and Future Outlook

Attendees described the declaration as a “mission statement” for a cross‑partisan coalition seeking to influence government policy and protect public welfare in the face of rapid AI advancement. While the group acknowledges that translating the declaration into concrete legislation remains challenging, they view the document as a foundational step toward a pro‑human AI movement.

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