Take Action
And Get Involved
Upcoming Event
A Time to Break Silence: Global Treaty to Pause AI - Free virtual event with music and educational talks.
Sunday, November 15th at 7pm EST
Prominent AI professor David Krueger will speak about the risk of artificial superintelligence leading to the extinction or disempowerment of humanity and how to enforce an international treaty to ban superintelligence. He will also speak about the non-profit he founded called Evitable, whose mission is to inform and organize the public to confront societal-scale risks of AI and put an end to the reckless race to develop superintelligence.
Alvaro Cuba, Associate Director of the non-profit PauseAI US, will speak about demanding a pause to the development of frontier AI to give society time to catch up, ensure the technology can be built safely (if at all), and democratically decide its future. He will also speak about how PauseAI US organizes local groups across the country meet with lawmakers, holds public protests and tabling events, and engages the media to warn the public about the dangers of advanced AI.
We will show video clips of how AI was used by militaries to target civilians in Gaza, Iran and Ukraine.
There will also be video clips on the work of AI researcher Cameron Berg investigating whether AI might already be conscious, as well as video clips on how AI could lead to a dystopian totalitarian society.
And there will also be music! We will be showing scenes from the opera adaptation of Orwell's novel 1984 composed by Lorin Maazel with stage directing by Dietlinde Turban. The event will be emceed by Orson Maazel and the event's technical director is Kelley Lane.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A. We hope you can join us for this free event!
Past Events
2025
Journalist Sam Husseini on suffering in Gaza, phony ceasefires, Uniting for Peace and his “Vote Pact” idea; a benefit event for The Middle East Children’s Alliance with music by David Rovics.
2024
Legal scholar Lawrence Lessig on SuperPACs and getting big money out of politics, various speakers on Ranked-Choice Voting vs. STAR Voting, journalist Sam Husseini on his “Vote Pact” idea; music by David Rovics and Shahin & Sepehr.
2023
A Time to Break Silence celebrates its 10th anniversary with various speakers on U.S. election transparency and voting rights, music performed by John Wubbenhorst, and music the messages of Martin Luther King and Langston Hughes performed by Tom Teasley and Charles Williams.
2022
Various speakers on U.S. election transparency and voting rights; music to the messages of Martin Luther King and Langston Hughes performed by Tom Teasley and Charles Williams.
2021
Afghanistan: a benefit event for Restore Her Voice and The Justness Project with a presentation by lawyer Kimberley Motley and with talks and performances by various Afghan speakers and musicians.
Vigil dedicated to the memory of Breonna Taylor performed by A Time to Break Silence co-founder Davóne Tines
2020
Educational talk and music performances on the themes of environmental racism, systemic racism, health and pandemics, veganism (in honor of Coretta Scott King), human and animal suffering, democracy and climate change. Speakers included Eloísa Trinidad and Dr. Anteneh Roba, and music included performances by Raehann Bryce-Davis, Danielle Diamond Powers and Davóne Tines.
2018
Interview with Professor Shepherd Iverson about music, creativity, human rights and hope for the future on the 10th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic's performance in North Korea
2016
Genocide and Human Trafficking - The program included a talk by Princeton professor Gary J. Bass on his book The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide and an exhibition of watercolor images by Prum Vannak, a Cambodian victim of human trafficking in the fishing industry.
2015
A Time to Break Silence with actor Alec Baldwin, Castleton Festival alumnus Davóne Tines, photographer and vegan activist Susan Weingartner and Niemat Ahmadi, Founder and President of Darfur Women Action Group
2014
A Time to Break Silence: S.A.L.T. of the Earth Opera Sings for Human Rights
2013
First ever A Time to Break Silence event: speakers included Saleh Elbachra who gave a talk on suffering in Western Sahara and Alexandra Hellmuth from Raise Hope for Congo who gave a presentation on conflict minerals in cell-phones and laptops; music included performances by North Korean escapee pianist Kim Cheol Woong and Iranian singer Mamak Khadem
-
Event Coverage
