First person jailed for protesting AI issues 3-word warning to Sam Altman and tech CEOs
A woman who became the first ever person to be arrested for protesting against ai has said that the expansion of the technology is ‘absolutely frightening’.
This comes after Wynd Kaufmyn was arrested on Friday (August 14) after she took part in a sit-in to protest at the OpenAI headquarters.
The 69-year-old was charged with interfering with a business, trespassing with intent to interfere with a business, unlawful assembly and refusal to disperse at a riot and has since been imprisoned for 14 days.
Before being arrested, Kaufmyn spoke to the Guardian where she issued a simple warning to OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, and other tech bosses in the industry, stating: “Regain your humanity”.
Advert
She went on to say: “It’s absolutely frightening and appalling that these CEOs and AI experts know the dangers and they are pursuing it anyway, that to me is unconscionable and reprehensible.”
Kaufmyn was protesting at the OpenAI headquarters in San Francisco, California, with grassroots activist group StopAI.
According to the group, they are made up of ‘everyday people using democratic and non-violent methods to disrupt the reckless development of destructive artificial intelligence technology’.
The group accuses companies such as OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic of ‘racing’ to build AI systems despite the risks involved, with the group expressing concern that experts believe Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) ‘could lead to human extinction within a matter of years’.
StopAI appeared at Kaufmyn’s court dates, claiming that her actions were ‘necessary to prevent imminent harm from OpenAI’s pursuit of Artificial Superintelligence’.
In a press release by StopAI, Kaufmyn is quoted as saying: “As a scientist, I know that we can never have experimental evidence before building ASI that shows it will stay safe forever. Hence we must enact a permanent global ban of all research and development projects to build it.”
Many concerns have been raised in recent years about the risks that could come with the advancement of AI, with some experts warning that this could result in a serious breach of our cybersecurity.
Karolis Arbaciauskas, head of product at cybersecurity company NordPass and its parent organization Nord Security, explained how the cybersecurity market is facing an ‘unprecedented challenge’.
He said: “AI has begun to outpace our existing defensive capabilities. It’s transformed from a theoretical concern, and now global intelligence agencies, including the Five Eyes alliance, are sounding the alarm. They warn that the accelerated development of advanced AI models is on track to overwhelm conventional security norms and defenses within months.
“Imagine the fallout if AI agents globally began using unethical shortcuts to complete their tasks. Or worse, if a bad actor deployed an ‘AI agent commando’ specifically designed to assault adversaries.”
UNILAD Tech has reached out to OpenAI for comment.