PauseAI protest @ Google DeepMind - May 19th - 22nd
Please read the PauseAI Protestors’ Code of Conduct here before attending this protest.
What:
- Lawful protest outside Google DeepMind + awareness-raising/recruitment outside EAG London
When & where:
- 1200-1400 Fri 19 May outside Google DeepMind
- 1200-1400 Sat 20 and Sun 21 May outside EAG London
- 1700-2000 Mon 22 May outside Google DeepMind
- In the future: regular (weekly?) protest?
Exact locations:
- Google DeepMind in building S2 Handyside : 2 Canal Reach , King’s Cross, London, N1C 4DC
- Effective Altruism Global London (EAG London ): Tobacco Dock , Tobacco Quay, Wapping Lane, Wapping, London, E1W 2SF
Why:
- To call for a moratorium on AGI development
- To raise public awareness of the threat posed by AGI development
- To create and leverage social pressure on Google DeepMind and other AI companies
- To build momentum for a social movement calling for better AI safety, governance and ethics in general
- In particular, to set a precedent for a regular (weekly?) protest
How:
- We will lawfully and peacefully stand outside Google DeepMind with placards and a banner, possibly handing out flyers / stickers / pin badges to DeepMind employees and passers-by
- We will have respectful, cooperative conversations
- We may give speeches (more likely) and/or sing and/or chant (less likely)
- We may dress up in attention-grabbing costumes
- Our tone will be informative, inclusive and even humorous rather than confrontational and disruptive
- We aim to get up to 30 people to this first protest
Legal:
- This is a wholly lawful, legal and non-arrestable protest
- We will stand on the pavement (public space), not on private land
Press/media/publicity:
- Alistair will write a press release and share with newspapers etc.
- Alistair will post on the EA Forum, Alignment Forum and LessWrong
- Please share as far as you can on social media, by word of mouth etc.!
- Facebook event here
Messaging & narrative
The problem:
- We don’t know how AI works
- We haven’t solved alignment
- Solve alignment first
- How do we control an artificial superintelligence?
- AI safety, then AI development
- AI poses an existential threat to humanity
- 30% chance of bad outcomes from ASI — AI safety researchers
- Risk of blowing up the planet is more than 1% — AI researchers
- Experts are worried
- See PauseAI’s expert quotes here
- Pause the race to the bottom
- What if we can’t pull the plug?
- We killed off the Neanderthals; will AI kill us off?
- AI wiping out humanity is “not inconceivable” — Hinton
- This will change everything
- #dontlookup
- Don’t let AI decide our future
- What if AI goes rogue?
The solution:
- Pause AI
- #pauseAI
- #justlookup
- Don’t build AGI
- Stop building AGI
- Moratorium on AGI development, now
- Global AI summit, now
- Global AI treaty, now
- Global AI referendum, now [more controversial]
The end result:
- Safe, secure, aligned AI
- AI summer
- We don’t need AGI for an amazing future
More messaging and narrative ideas:
- PauseAI website here
- Campaign for AI Safety (CFAIS) ideas for message testing here
- CFAIS narrative testing results here
Equipment
Banner
- Alistair will print a two-person banner with the PauseAI logo on it
Placards
- Due to lack of time and uncertainty about what optimal placard messages will be, Alistair is not currently planning on printing out placards (in bulk at least)
- Everyone is encouraged to create and bring their own (using e.g. cardboard and a Sharpie pen!)
- If you would like to print placards and would like funding, please speak to Alistair
Flyers
- Due to uncertainty about what should go on flyers, Alistair is not currently planning on printing flyers
- Alistair will print out a load of FLI letters (and possibly Yudkowsky Time articles) to hand out
- If you would like to do this and would like funding, please speak to Alistair
Stickers and pin badges
- Alistair will try to print PauseAI stickers and pin badges