Well, folks, the AI apocalypse might be closer than your next software update. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have just joined a star-studded crew of tech wizards, scientists, and random celebrities in a dramatic call to slam the brakes on artificial superintelligence.

Imagine a world where AI doesn’t just recommend your next Netflix binge, but potentially decides the fate of humanity. Scary, right? A group of high-profile signatories, including AI pioneers like Geoffrey Hinton and some unexpected names like Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck, are demanding a total halt on developing AI that could outsmart humans in basically every cognitive task.

The Royal AI Intervention

Prince Harry dropped some serious wisdom, stating that “the future of AI should serve humanity, not replace it”. The open letter isn’t just another tech tantrum – it’s a serious plea for responsible innovation. They’re not asking to cancel AI entirely, just to pump the brakes until we can guarantee it won’t turn into a sci-fi nightmare scenario.

Who’s On Board?

The signatory list reads like a wild interdisciplinary party: tech moguls, Nobel Prize winners, actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and even music legend will.i.am. Gordon-Levitt summed it up perfectly: AI shouldn’t just be about making zillions of dollars and turning us into “slop junkies”.

The Real Stakes

Beyond the clickbait headlines, this is about preventing potential human extinction. Stuart Russell, an AI pioneer, put it bluntly: is asking for safety measures against potential human extinction really too much?

Stay woke, tech world. The robots aren’t taking over… yet.