Experts Unveil 'Pro-Human Declaration' to Govern AI Development

Bipartisan coalition proposes framework to keep humans in charge and avoid risks of unregulated AI

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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A bipartisan coalition of experts, former officials, and public figures has published the 'Pro-Human Declaration', a framework for responsible AI development that aims to keep humans in charge, avoid concentration of power, protect human experience, preserve individual liberty, and hold AI companies accountable. The declaration comes amid growing public opposition to an 'unregulated race to superintelligence' and recent tensions between the Pentagon and AI companies like Anthropic over access to their technologies.

Why it matters

The lack of coherent rules governing artificial intelligence has become a major concern, with the recent Pentagon-Anthropic standoff exposing the risks of unregulated AI development. The Pro-Human Declaration provides a roadmap for ensuring AI is developed in a way that benefits humanity, rather than replacing or undermining human decision-making and control.

The details

The Pro-Human Declaration calls for key safeguards, including a prohibition on superintelligence development until there is scientific consensus it can be done safely, mandatory off-switches on powerful AI systems, and a ban on architectures capable of self-replication, autonomous self-improvement, or resistance to shutdown. It also proposes mandatory pre-deployment testing of AI products, particularly those aimed at children, to assess risks like increased suicidal ideation and emotional manipulation.

  • The Pro-Human Declaration was finalized before last week's Pentagon-Anthropic standoff.
  • The declaration's release coincided with a week that highlighted the urgency of the issues it addresses.

The players

Max Tegmark

An MIT physicist and AI researcher who helped organize the Pro-Human Declaration effort.

Pete Hegseth

The U.S. Defense Secretary who designated Anthropic a 'supply chain risk' after the company refused to grant the Pentagon unlimited use of its technology.

Steve Bannon

The former Trump advisor who has endorsed the Pro-Human Declaration.

Susan Rice

The former U.S. National Security Advisor and Policy Advisor for President Obama who has also endorsed the Pro-Human Declaration.

Mike Mullen

The former Joint Chiefs Chairman who is a signatory of the Pro-Human Declaration.

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What they’re saying

“There's something quite remarkable that has happened in America just in the last four months. Polling suddenly [is showing] that 95% of all Americans oppose an unregulated race to superintelligence.”

— Max Tegmark, MIT physicist and AI researcher (TechCrunch)

“This is not just some dispute over a contract. This is the first conversation we have had as a country about control over AI systems.”

— Dean Ball, Senior Fellow, Foundation for American Innovation (The New York Times)

What’s next

The coalition behind the Pro-Human Declaration hopes that establishing the principle of mandatory pre-release testing for AI products, particularly those aimed at children, will lead to wider adoption of the declaration's other safeguards and help break the current impasse in Washington over AI regulation.

The takeaway

The Pro-Human Declaration provides a comprehensive framework for responsible AI development that aims to keep humans in control, avoid dangerous concentrations of power, and hold AI companies legally accountable. Its broad bipartisan support underscores the growing public concern over the risks of unregulated AI and the urgent need for coherent rules to govern this rapidly evolving technology.