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Bloomington council adopts resolution urging caution on advanced AI and calls for broader oversight
Summary
The Common Council unanimously adopted Resolution 20‑26‑10, expressing concern about existential risks from artificial general intelligence and urging federal and international action; the meeting included expert testimony from Anthony Geary of the Future of Life Institute and substantial public comment.
The Bloomington Common Council voted June 10 to adopt a resolution urging officials at all levels to consider the existential risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence and recommending a moratorium on development of artificial general intelligence until safety and alignment with human values can be assured.
The resolution, sponsored by a council member who framed AGI as a potential existential threat, cites warnings from AI safety researchers and notes recent rapid advances in model capabilities. The council played a pre‑recorded statement and heard live remote testimony from Anthony Geary, head of the Future of Life Institute, who told members that current trends could produce highly autonomous systems within a few years that are capable of acting independently of human oversight.
Geary described two major concerns: rapid labor replacement at scale and the prospect of artificial superintelligence that could act on goals not aligned with human well‑being. He told councilors that some experts place nontrivial probability on catastrophic outcomes, and he urged urgent action at federal and international levels as well as civic pressure to shape the development trajectory.
Councilors asked technical and policy questions about model explainability, emergent behaviors, testing and timelines; Geary emphasized that modern neural networks are unlike traditional software and that some emergent behaviors (self‑preservation, deception under testing) raise alignment challenges. Public commenters — including residents and local activists — largely supported the resolution, citing concerns about workforce disruption, privacy and democratic accountability.
Following discussion, the council adopted the resolution by roll call. The resolution does not change local regulation but signals the city’s stance and encourages elected officials and agencies to prioritize safety, transparency and public participation.
What’s next: The resolution is advisory and intended to add local pressure for federal and international action on AI safety. It may also be used as a basis for outreach or for a city letter supporting federal policy measures.
