Trial of Wynd Kaufmyn

In a historic, first-of-its-kind trial, a member of the group StopAI is facing charges for blockading the doors of OpenAI, a leading company in the global race to develop “Artificial General Intelligence” (AGI) and “Artificial Superintelligence” (ASI), AI that would match or exceed human capabilities across the board and which experts believe could lead to human extinction within a matter of years.

AI companies including OpenAI, xAI, Google Deepmind, Anthropic, and Meta are racing to build such AI systems despite the risks, and ASI is the stated goal of OpenAI.

OpenAI’s AI, ChatGPT, has already been implicated in user suicides and mass shootings, demonstrating its potential for lethal harm. Mass layoffs, AI psychosis, war crimes, dystopian levels of surveillance, and loss of human control are growing threats from AI likely to culminate in catastrophic harms.

Ms. Kaufmyn argues her actions were necessary to prevent imminent harm from OpenAI’s pursuit of Artificial Superintelligence. Notable UC Berkeley AI professor Stuart Russell is expected to provide expert testimony at the trial. The necessity defense was used in 2018 when a Boston Municipal Judge acquitted 13 climate activists who blocked a fracked gas pipeline. The judge found the activists not guilty on the basis of necessity.

“As a scientist, I know that we can never have experimental evidence before building ASI that shows it will stay safe forever. Hence we must enact a permanent global ban of all research and development projects to build it.” – Wynd Kaufmyn, defendant

“The threat of human extinction from AI is real and urgent. OpenAI is openly racing towards a point of no return, and must be stopped immediately.” – AI Professor David Krueger

This trial will be the first time in human history where a jury of peers are asked to weigh in regarding the catastrophic threats that AI poses to humanity.

Wynd is being charged on four counts:

P.C. 602.1(A)

P.C. 602(12)

P.C. 407

P.C. 409