When the machines do the work, who gets the dividend?

To: The U.S. Congress, the leaders of every nation, and the companies developing artificial intelligence

Our petition

We are workers, parents, business owners, students, and neighbors. We are not against technology, and we are not against success. We are for a fair deal.

The intelligence inside these machines was learned from our books, our photos, our questions, and our work. The data centers that power them draw on our grids and our water, and too often the cost shows up on our utility bills. Meanwhile the wealth they create is flowing to a very small number of people.

If revenue is still being generated, the people who made it possible deserve a share of it. We ask that you commit to the following before the decisions are final, not after.

1. 1

   The Human Dividend

   Create public dividend funds, owned by the people, that hold a real stake in the value AI creates. Pay the returns directly to every citizen.

2. 2

   Pay your own way

   Data centers must pay the full cost of their power, water, and grid upgrades, with no household rate increases to subsidize private computing.

3. 3

   Our data, our share

   Be transparent about how human work trains these systems. Give people the right to say no, and a share of the value when they say yes.

4. 4

   No one left behind

   Build a real bridge for displaced workers, including income protection, retraining that leads to real jobs, and protected healthcare and retirement.

5. 5

   Human hands on the wheel

   Put the most powerful AI systems under democratic oversight, independent safety review, and public transparency.

6. 6

   A worldwide accord

   Begin a global agreement now on how the benefits of AI will be shared among all people, in every country and every class.