Should I engage in political or collective action like signing petitions or sending letters to politicians?

Perhaps. There is a chance that directly lobbying politicians could help, but there's also a chance that such actions end up doing more harm than good. It would be great if we could slow down AI development in general, though causing only some AI projects to slow down might lead to a company or nation that is less concerned about safety producing powerful AI first.

We could ask policymakers to pass regulations or standards related to AGI, but passing ineffective regulation might interfere with passing more effective regulation later, if, for instance, people consider the issue already "dealt with". Complying with bureaucratic requirements might also prove to be a distraction from the work actually needed to produce safe AI.

If you are concerned about this issue, we'd recommend learning as much about the issue as possible, spending time brainstorming downside risks, and looking into risks that other people have identified.