AI 2040: Plan A

AI companies are racing to develop superintelligent AI by the late 2020s, which could result in extinction or dangerous concentration of power. The authors propose "Plan A"—an international agreement to delay superintelligence development until 2040, make all AI research public, and allow multiple companies across countries to develop AI safely together rather than in a dangerous competitive race. Plan A is presented as a policy recommendation to avoid existential catastrophe, contrasted against alternative scenarios where competitive dynamics lead to loss of human control over superintelligent systems.