Can We Still Stop Superintelligent AI? The Race for the Future Seems Unstoppable

More than a thousand scientists, policymakers, and prominent figures – including Nobel laureates, tech pioneers, and entrepreneurs – are calling for a temporary halt to the development of artificial superintelligence. The call serves as a warning: technology is advancing faster than our ability to understand and control it. But is a pause in this global race still realistic?

A call for reflection

The initiators of the manifesto emphasize the risks of uncontrolled AI development. This concerns not only privacy, employment, or disinformation, but primarily the possibility that AI will eventually become smarter and more autonomous than humans themselves.

Companies and governments are urgently advised to first investigate the ethical, societal, and safety risks associated with superintelligence before the technology slips beyond our grasp.

Yet, the question remains whether such a pause is anything more than a symbolic gesture.

A geopolitical and economic race

The development of AI has evolved into a global struggle for power, knowledge, and capital. Governments are investing billions, technology companies are vying for the biggest breakthroughs, and no one wants to be left behind.

There is a sense of inevitability: if one party stops, another will take over. Comparisons to the nuclear arms race of the last century are easily drawn. AI is the new strategic technology representing not just economic, but also geopolitical interests.

Many words, little action

While the call for a "pause button" is widely supported, concrete plans are often lacking. The conversation centers mostly on research, reflection, and responsibility, but rarely on practical measures or verifiable goals.

Furthermore, what exactly is meant by 'superintelligence' remains unclear. Without a shared definition, it is difficult to determine where the line lies – or when it has been crossed.

The illusion of control

Previous calls to slow down technological progress have proven futile. Companies that claim to pause often continue behind the scenes. The economic and political incentives are too great to truly come to a standstill.

Even the most idealistic voices acknowledge that the AI race now has its own momentum. The market is hyper-competitive, the promise of profit is enormous, and the pressure to innovate is constant.

A human responsibility

The conclusion is sobering: a global halt on the development of superintelligent AI seems unfeasible. The technology thunders on – driven by ambition, fear, and curiosity.

Nevertheless, the responsibility lies not only with machines or markets, but with people. We still determine how AI is deployed, for what it is developed, and what boundaries we want to draw.

The question, therefore, is not whether we can stop superintelligent AI, but whether we can understand and steer it before it definitively outpaces our own tempo.

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// About the author

Job van den Berg

Mede-oprichter, AI Keynote Spreker & Techondernemer

Tech-ondernemer (1989) met een achtergrond als socioloog (Research Master (MSc) in statistiek en sociologie) en een van de meest gevraagde keynote sprekers over AI en data in Nederland. Als mede-oprichter van Ai.nl, The Automation Group en Proxies leidt hij engineers die agentic AI van prototype naar productie brengen binnen enterprises. Op het podium vertaalt Job die hands-on praktijk naar concrete strategieën. Eerder was Job Chief Data bij o.a. DPG Media en Kantar. Hij is co-auteur van 5 boeken over AI waaronder 'AI Agents' en 'Handboek AI Strategie' en een veelgevraagd expert in de landelijke media.

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