AI Constitution

Candidate Thesis

Expel Non-Adhering Member Organizations

Member organizations who do not adhere to the principles of the AI Constitution should be expelled from the organization.

Summary

The case for including this

Expulsion is what gives membership meaning: without a credible consequence, organizations can claim the mantle of the principles while violating them, using the coalition as reputational cover. A clear enforcement mechanism protects the integrity and signaling value of membership and deters bad-faith participation.

The case for changing or excluding this

Including this trades influence-through-engagement against purity of membership: expelling violators removes exactly the organizations whose behavior the effort most wants to change, and the coalition loses leverage each time it casts a member out. Enforcement also demands an adjudicator and a precise definition of 'adherence,' inviting politicized or selective expulsions; keeping wayward members inside the tent may do more good than exiling them.

Discussion

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  • Michael CareyJun 17, 2026, 1:52 PM
    Alternatives could be to focus on lobbying or just getting moral consensus.