- Humans First is a grassroots movement organizing town halls across the United States to give ordinary citizens a voice in AI governance decisions.
- The group’s flagship campaign pressures politicians to reject financial contributions from major AI companies and their venture capital backers.
- A January 2026 conference in New Orleans produced the “Pro-Human AI Declaration,” signed by figures including Steve Bannon, Glenn Beck, the AFL-CIO, and the Progressive Democrats of America.
- The movement was incubated by the Center for AI Safety and has drawn scrutiny over whether it represents genuine grassroots activism or an astroturf campaign.
What Happened
A movement called Humans First has been organizing in-person town halls across the United States, bringing together people from across the political spectrum to discuss AI governance. On March 17, 2026, approximately 75 people gathered at St. Michael’s Church on West 99th Street in Manhattan for a free event titled “Who Decides the Future of AI?” The evening included a presentation on AI industry political spending in New York, a Q&A session, and an activity called “Ink Over Algorithms” where attendees wrote concerns about AI for delivery to Washington politicians on March 25.
The NYC gathering was part of a national tour spanning from Palm Beach to Portland, with earlier stops including an Atlanta event at Georgia Tech on March 6 featuring Joe Allen, a senior fellow with the organization who reports on AI for Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast.
Why It Matters
AI policy debates have historically been concentrated in San Francisco boardrooms and Washington hearing rooms. Humans First strategist Jeremy Ornstein put it directly: “Artificial intelligence is not a problem of the future. It’s a source of power right now, to do great good and to do great harm.” The movement’s goal is to shift that conversation to ordinary communities.
What makes the group unusual is its bipartisan coalition. The organizing team includes Alexander McCoy, a former Marine and climate advocate who worked on Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, alongside Amy Kremer, who co-founded Women for Trump and led grassroots organizing for the Republican National Committee. In January 2026, a conference at a New Orleans Marriott convened roughly 90 political and civic leaders who produced the “Pro-Human AI Declaration,” carrying signatures from Steve Bannon, Glenn Beck, the AFL-CIO, and the Progressive Democrats of America.
Technical Details
The movement’s core policy demand centers on political spending. Humans First’s flagship campaign calls on elected officials to reject campaign contributions from major AI companies and their venture capital investors, arguing that “rampant political spending by Big AI” is shaping legislation in favor of industry interests rather than public welfare.
The broader context supports their concern. According to Time, activists across the country stalled $98 billion in data center projects in the second quarter of 2025 alone, with opposition movements emerging in Virginia, Indiana, and Arizona. These fights focus on energy consumption, water usage, and local environmental impact of the infrastructure powering AI systems.
Humans First was incubated by the Center for AI Safety, which provided an initial loan to be repaid through individual donations. The organizational structure relies on town halls, petition drives, and direct engagement with local politicians rather than traditional lobbying.
Who’s Affected
The movement targets communities directly impacted by AI industry expansion, from towns facing data center construction to workers in industries facing automation. Joe Allen, the group’s senior fellow, brings a conservative media audience through his work on the “War Room” podcast, while McCoy’s progressive network provides reach into labor and environmental circles.
However, the group faces credibility questions. Conservative writer Jordan Schachtel alleged Humans First was designed as a “Trojan horse” by effective altruists to make AI safety concerns palatable to conservatives, specifically questioning whether Allen had been recruited to lend right-wing credibility. Allen rejected the claim, stating he had not been “head-hunted and stooged.”
What’s Next
Humans First plans to continue its national tour through 2026, with additional stops scheduled across the Midwest and West Coast. The movement’s ability to sustain bipartisan cooperation on AI policy will be tested as the debate over AI regulation intensifies ahead of midterm elections. Whether a coalition that includes both Steve Bannon and the AFL-CIO can maintain coherence on specific policy proposals, rather than just shared opposition to Big AI political spending, remains to be seen.
Source: NBC News
