AI Opinie

Can we still stop superintelligent AI? The race for the future seems unstoppable

Job van den Berg

February 1, 2026

min read

Can we still stop superintelligent AI? The race for the future seems unstoppable

The development of AI has grown into a global struggle for power, knowledge, and capital.

More than a thousand scientists, policy makers and prominent figures — including Nobel Prize winners, tech pioneers and entrepreneurs — are calling for the development of artificial superintelligence to be temporarily halted. The call is intended as a warning: technology is evolving faster than our ability to understand and control it. But is a pause in this global race still realistic?

The call for reflection

The initiators of the manifesto emphasize the risks of uncontrolled AI development. Not only when it comes to privacy, employment or disinformation, but especially because of the possibility that AI will eventually become smarter and more autonomous than humans themselves.

Companies and governments are urged to first investigate the ethical, social and safety risks associated with superintelligence — before the technology escapes us.

However, the question is whether such a break is more than a symbolic gesture.

A geopolitical and economic race

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

There is a sense of unavoidability: if one party quits, another takes over. The comparison with the nuclear race of the last century was quickly made. AI is the new strategic technology that represents not only economic but also geopolitical interests.

Many words, few actions

Although the call for a “pause button” is widely supported, concrete plans are often lacking. People mainly talk about research, reflection and responsibility, but rarely about practical measures or testable goals.

What exactly is meant by “superintelligence” also remains unclear. Without a shared definition, it's hard to tell where the line lies — or when it's crossed.

The illusion of control

Previous calls for a delay in technological progress proved to be futile. Companies that say they are pausing are simply continuing behind the scenes. The economic and political incentives are too great to really stand still.

Even the most idealistic voices recognize 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 constantly present.

A human responsibility

The conclusion is sobering: a global stop to the development of superintelligent AI seems impossible. Technology continues to accelerate — driven by ambition, fear and curiosity.

Nevertheless, the responsibility lies not only with machines or markets, but with people. We still decide how AI is being deployed, Wherefore it is being developed and what borders we want to pull.

So the question is not whether we can stop superintelligent AI, but whether we can stop it understand and direct before she definitely outpaces our pace.

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