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.
📺 Subscribe to The AI Risk Network for weekly conversations on how we can confront the AI extinction threat.
