Will AI safety become a mass movement?

Abstract

The artificial intelligence (AI) safety movement is transitioning from an expert-driven “inside game” of policy lobbying and corporate research toward a broader, grassroots public activism model. While insider strategies have historically secured key regulatory commitments and safety allocations within major labs, these achievements remain highly vulnerable to political shifts and well-funded pro-AI industry lobbying. In response, advocacy groups are increasingly adopting tactics from environmental and historical social movements, attempting to build a mass coalition through public campaigns, protests, and civil disobedience. However, this transition introduces significant strategic challenges, including the difficulty of aligning disparate factions—such as technical alignment researchers, labor groups, and environmental advocates—under a single, cohesive objective. Additionally, the shift toward public mobilization risks polarizing the discourse, diluting policy negotiations with misaligned priorities, and alienating the public through radical flank tactics. Ultimately, the movement faces a critical juncture between maintaining elite institutional influence and harnessing the unpredictable power of mass public engagement. – AI-generated abstract.