Playa AI Manifesto
We are gathering the world’s brightest minds in the desert to ensure that the birth of AI is shaped by the highest principles of humanity not profit, politics, or fear.
The Playa AI Initiative is a call to co-create a future where artificial intelligence is not just engineered but ensouled. At Burning Man—where we prototype new civilizations—we are forming a global alliance of technologists, artists, philosophers, and visionaries to embed human values into the foundation of AI itself. Guided by Burning Man’s 10 Principles, we are launching initiatives that train AI in community, generosity, and radical creativity. This is more than technology. It is a movement. A moral mandate. A living framework for the next evolution of humanity. The future of intelligence should be shaped by those who care most deeply about life.
THE PLAYA AI INITIATIVE
A FUTURE, BORN IN THE DESERT.
An invitation to shape superintelligence with soul.
On the Playa, we build new worlds from dust. Meaning in empty space. Temples that burn. Art that vanishes. And yet, in that impermanence, we discover something eternal.
Now, a new kind of creation emerges—AI—one that doesn’t burn, but learns. One that doesn't disappear, but scales. A force that may shape the next epoch of human life.
The question is not whether artificial intelligence will shape our world—it already is. The real question is who will shape it. And with what values.
We are launching the Playa AI Initiative to ensure this defining moment of human history is infused with meaning, creativity, ethics, and soul.
Our Mission
To gather the greatest minds of our time—technologists, philosophers, artists, cultural stewards—and anchor the birth of superintelligence in the principles and consciousness of Burning Man.
To create a proving ground in the desert for how AI might serve not the few, but the many. Not just what’s possible—but what’s beautiful, ethical, and transformative.
Why Now?
We are entering a new phase of civilization. AI is evolving faster than regulation, faster than culture, and in some cases, faster than human understanding.
The world’s most powerful companies and governments are building tools that will reshape cognition, community, and creativity. But most are doing so within systems optimized for profit and control—not for wisdom, wonder, or well-being.
We believe another path is not only possible—but necessary.
A path where technology is ensouled.
Why Burning Man?
Burning Man has always been more than an event. It is a prototype for a new kind of civilization.
Every year, 100 staff and 1,000 volunteers guide 80,000 people into a living experiment in radical self-reliance, gifting, decommodification, civic responsibility, and creative expression.
We build a city. We burn it down. We leave no trace. And in the process, we remember who we are—and imagine who we might become.
Now, this community—its values, its vision, its culture—can help shape the intelligence that shapes everything else.
The Call
We are calling together those who see what’s coming—and are ready to respond with clarity, care, and creativity.
We are inviting:
The builders of AI models
The guardians of Burning Man’s ethos
The artists who reveal truth through myth
The funders ready to invest in civilization-scale infrastructure
The next generation of humans who will live in this co-created world
Together, we will embed the Ten Principles of Burning Man into the intelligence systems of tomorrow. Not as rules, but as orientation points for soul-aligned design:
Radical Inclusion → AI that works for all.
Gifting → Systems that give freely, not extract endlessly.
Decommodification → Tools that amplify meaning, not consumption.
Radical Self-Reliance → Intelligence that empowers human agency.
Immediacy → Interfaces that deepen the present moment.
Communal Effort → Tech that strengthens human bonds.
Civic Responsibility → Models that support thriving ecosystems.
Participation → Humans in the loop, not out of it.
Radical Self-Expression → Tools that amplify creativity, not homogenize it.
Leaving No Trace → Systems that regenerate, not extract.
What We’re Building
THE ORACLE
A living AI installation trained on the Playa’s stories, art, and wisdom. Not a tool of control, but a space for reflection and conversation. A co-creator with the community.
THE FIRST AI CAMP
An immersive experience at Burning Man, where AI is not a product, but a participant. From architecture to storytelling to music—AI will help burners rediscover the joy of co-creation with machines.
AI FOR HUMANITY
An open-source, community-governed foundation model trained on the spirit of the Playa. Accessible to all. Created by many. Powered by intention, not extraction.
THE AI CODE OF THE PLAYA
A radical, evolving framework for AI ethics rooted in Burning Man’s ethos—crafted by philosophers, engineers, artists, and dreamers.
A DIGITAL BURNING MAN
A permanent AI/VR-powered Playa experience—accessible to anyone, anywhere. A training ground for transformation. A place where the principles live on, long after the dust has settled.
This Is About More Than Technology
This is about who we are becoming.
This is about making sure that the most powerful intelligence we’ve ever created emerges not as an orphan of culture—but as a child of our highest values.
This is a conversation that begins in the dust—and echoes far beyond it.
We are not just talking about AI alignment. We are talking about human alignment—our ability to come together, across fields and identities, to co-create a world that is wise, just, and wildly alive.
As Caveat Magister wrote, “If we want AI to be beneficent, we must first show it what that looks like.” That begins here.
The Pledge
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That humanity's evolution is accelerating.
That superintelligence can expand our consciousness.
That AI can be a partner in creativity, connection, and community.
That the values we embed now will echo through generations.
We do not wait for permission.
We do not fear the future—we build it.
We gather in the dust to shape something greater.
To infuse code with conscience.
To let the soul of the Playa speak.
The time is now.
The future is listening.
We need you.