Yoshua Bengio
Sources used: First-hand material and reporting or indirect copies.
The map position is our interpretation of the public statements below. Read the method.
Position, range and evidence details
Preferred pace: -62; stated catastrophic-risk concern: 50. These are layout units, not percentages or rankings.
Pace range: -85 to -35; concern range: 25 to 85. Ranges show alternative editorial interpretations, not statistical confidence intervals.
Evidence clarity: medium. Basis: mixed. Implementation: public-advocacy.
Record status: Published record
What this status means
This is a published Atlas record with no open challenge recorded in this edition. It is not a guarantee that the sources are current or the interpretation is correct.
Status recorded: 2026-09-16. This is separate from the source-reading and actor-review dates.
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 3
Newest dated source: 2025-10-22
At least one source was published within the 18-month window.
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-16. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-16.
Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Open on the map Reading notes · Structured record
What this position covers
Superintelligence restriction, not a ban on every AI application or safety research. [1] [2] [3]
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What to keep in mind
Conditional superintelligence restraint is reported separately from his directly read account of control risks. His research proposal is not a proven safety solution. [1] [2] [3]
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What they say about the pace of AI
Reported signatory of the conditional superintelligence prohibition. [1]
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What they say about the pace of AI
The statement makes safety consensus and public support conditions for lifting the prohibition. [2]
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What they say about catastrophic risk
Warns about deception, self-preservation and loss of human control while proposing safety research. [3]
Find the passage in the source
LawZero introduction
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The wider picture
Supports restraint on superintelligence and research aimed at retaining human control. [1] [3]
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Two different kinds of evidence
The prohibition endorsement is reported; his concern about loss of control is stated directly in his LawZero announcement. Neither establishes a numerical risk estimate. [1] [3]
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https://theaiatlas.org/people/bengio/
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Image previews are summaries. Keep the page link so readers can check the evidence.
Sources and what we read
1. Harry and Meghan join AI pioneers in call for ban on superintelligent systems
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Newest dated source: 2025-10-22
At least one source was published within the 18-month window.
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-16. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-16.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Used only to corroborate Yoshua Bengio's signature and the scope of that statement, not to attribute every listed concern to him.
2. Statement on Superintelligence
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Publication dates are unavailable.
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-16. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-16.
Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
The statement text was accessible. The dynamic signatory list was not exposed in the retrieved text; Bengio's signature is corroborated separately.
3. Introducing LawZero
Publication dates and source age
Sources counted: 1
Newest dated source: 2025-06-03
At least one source was published within the 18-month window.
Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-16. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-16.
Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.
Read the author's announcement, including his loss-of-control concerns. Describes his argument and research goals, not proof that the proposed approach is safe.
Edition and machine-readable evidence
Content version 0.22.0. Evidence cutoff 2026-09-16; this does not mean every source was read on that day.
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