We Debated the Future of AI Safety in Brussels — Here's What Happened
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About this episode
In this episode of For Humanity, John travels to Brussels, Belgium for PauseCon — the global gathering of Pause AI volunteers and advocates — joined by board member and author Louis Berman and filmmaker Beau Kershaw.
The goal: train activists to be more effective in the fight against AI risk. What unfolded was one of the most honest conversations in the AI safety movement about why, despite 80% public support, almost nobody is actually showing up.
John didn’t pull punches. Nothing is working. Not fast enough. Not at the scale we need. But the energy is out there — and this episode is about where to find it and how to channel it.
The centerpiece is a live debate between John and Max Winga of Control AI on one of the most divisive strategic questions in the movement:
Should we talk about extinction risk directly — or meet people where they are with the harms happening right now?
Together, they explore:
* Why 80% public support hasn’t translated into mass mobilization
* The case for leading with existential risk vs. “mundane” AI harms
* Data centers, community opposition, and financial pain as a strategy
* Why John believes laws and treaties alone won’t save us
* The winning state: making unsafe AI bad for business
* What’s actually moving the needle in the US right now
* How to talk to someone about AI risk without losing them
* The “yes and” approach vs. the AI safety world’s love of “no but”
If you've ever wondered why the AI safety movement struggles to break through despite overwhelming public agreement — this episode is required viewing.
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