Since stepping away from royal life, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have consistently used their platform to champion causes that shape the future—this time, quite literally. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have joined more than 800 public figures in signing an open letter urging an international prohibition on the development of “superintelligent” AI, citing safety and humanity as the ultimate priorities.
The statement, released by the Future of Life Institute (FLI)—a non-profit devoted to mitigating risks posed by advanced technologies—calls for a pause “until there is a broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably.” It’s a collective plea for prudence in an era racing toward machine dominance.
Among the signatories are AI pioneers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, often regarded as the “godfathers” of artificial intelligence, along with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, actors Stephen Fry and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and former Irish president Mary Robinson. Their message is unified: innovation must not outpace ethics.
For Harry and Meghan, the cause is deeply personal. In a note attached to the letter, Prince Harry wrote, “The future of AI should serve humanity, not replace it. The true test of progress will be not how fast we move, but how wisely we steer. There is no second chance.”
The couple’s stance aligns with their ongoing advocacy through the Archewell Foundation, which recently partnered with ParentsTogether, a non-profit working to protect children from the potential harms of AI-driven technologies. It’s a continuation of the Sussexes’ broader mission—ensuring that the digital world their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, inherit is safe, thoughtful, and human-centered.
In a previous interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Meghan reflected on the realities of parenting in a rapidly changing world: “Our kids are young… they’re amazing. But all you want to do as parents is protect them. We can see what’s happening in the online space, and we know there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Their message resonates beyond Silicon Valley or Buckingham Palace—it’s a moral wake-up call in the tech age. In the end, the Sussexes’ advocacy underscores a truth that feels profoundly human: progress is only meaningful when it safeguards the people it’s meant to serve.
