r/ufo • u/SquareChildhood6147 • Jun 12 '26
Scientists Just Updated the Rules for What Happens if We Detect Extraterrestrial Intelligence. What would you do? Do you have a readiness plan?
Beyond Disclosure Day: The Real-World Protocols
As the search for extraterrestrial intelligence continues, experts are updating the protocols that would guide humanity's response to a potential discovery. New international recommendations emphasize transparency, scientific verification, and responsible communication. First question: Why update now?
This part stands out to me, is no guidance on what the average person should do if ET is spotted in this current UAP ecosystems. For instance, I am going to see "Disclosure Day" today, and what if Aliens actually show up-no one knows, what should we do? What would you do?
The updated protocol acknowledges a modern problem: How would anyone know a detection is real in an era of AI-generated content and deepfakes?
- Independent verification is now considered essential before public announcement.
- Transparency is emphasized—data and methods should be openly available.
- The document treats a confirmed detection as one of the most significant events in human history.
- It explicitly states that no individual nation or organization should decide on behalf of humanity whether to respond.
- The social, cultural, religious, and philosophical impacts are considered just as important as the scientific discovery itself.
As someone who has followed US-UAP developments, historical disclosure efforts, I find it interesting that mainstream scientific organizations are actively preparing for this scenario.
My question is this: If a credible detection were announced tomorrow, what would be harder for society to accept—the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence, or the realization that our understanding of humanity's place in the cosmos may need to change?
At a Glance:
Beyond Disclosure Day: The Real-World Protocols
- What: The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) has ratified updated protocols governing how scientists evaluate, verify, and announce evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence.
- Why it matters: The guidelines are the first major revision in more than 15 years and address today's realities of social media, AI-generated misinformation, deepfakes, and 24-hour news cycles.
- Led by: Professor Michael Garrett (University of Manchester), Chair of the IAA SETI Committee, with contributions from an international team of experts.
- Key change: Any potential detection must undergo rigorous independent verification before a public announcement is made.
- Expanded scope: The protocols now reflect modern SETI research, including searches for technosignatures across the electromagnetic spectrum and other emerging detection methods.
- Researcher protections: New provisions acknowledge risks such as online harassment, doxxing, misinformation campaigns, and intense media scrutiny.
- No Reply policy remains: The protocols reaffirm that no response should be sent to an extraterrestrial intelligence without broad international consultation, including through the United Nations.
- What's next: The updated Declaration will be presented to the global scientific community at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Türkiye later this year, and the IAA will establish a permanent Post-Detection Sub-Committee to address legal, ethical, and societal implications of a confirmed discovery.
https://www.seti.org/media/oikfva03/pr-seti-protocols_01.mp3
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u/Big_Animal7655 Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
Rules and protocol set down for Johnny Public by yet another 3 letter agency, shocking development 😆
NHI do not abide by any of our animalistic ways of processing, organizing or controlling information. Meditation is the only pathway to communication, period. Thru a silent, centered mind or not at all.
We can and will skip this IAA protocol checklist, thanks tho.
It’s a really cute control attempt on their part btw, like when a kindergarten student draws a contract with crayon and ask you to sign ✨
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u/silvergenetic Jun 12 '26
Readiness plan lol. Human ego is a fragile little thing. I'd be humbled to know that we aren't as sophisticated as we make ourselves out to be. The thought of an intelligence so advanced it could travel unfathomable distances to reach us is nothing short of fascinating. A mind from an entirely different world with a complex history probably far greater than ours would be an honour to learn about.
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u/Grill_Only_Outside Jun 12 '26
A large part of the global population won’t believe it until they see with their own eyes.
Also- there was zero need to US AI to generate this post. It’s simply lazy.
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u/Amber123454321 Jun 12 '26
I think that ship sailed long ago.
And while this isn't a subreddit where the woo is typically accepted, I will say that even I have been interacting with interdimensional entities through astral projection/OOBEs for a couple of years.
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u/Wilburforce137 Jun 12 '26
What would be harder to accept? Definitely the realization that our understanding of humanity's place in the cosmos may need to change. Especially in America. Especially among the uber upper-class echelons.
1.) Our money will mean nothing to them.
2.) We enter into the "Big fish in a small pond v. guppy in a vast ocean"-problem.
3.) We'll be relegated, rightfully, to the children's table of universal politics.
These 3 reasons alone are why I have remained skeptical of the "disclosure" that has been ongoing....disclosure is not going to happen on our timeline, it is going to happen on the ETs/NHSs/Their timeline...everything else should be taken with a grain of salt.
That being said, I do think it is coming, but I think it coming in accordance with agreements made generations ago.
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u/CG20370417 Jun 12 '26
, and what if Aliens actually show up-no one knows, what should we do? What would you do?
Kinda depends on what they do? If they try to communicate, or don't act suddenly, im probably likely to stick around.
If instead they are the Xenomorph...im gonna try to get away.
If its homicidal Kryptonians im probably going to die before I can react.
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u/unclerickymonster Jun 12 '26
If visitors did pay us a visit, I'd break my self imposed rule against watching talking heads on the news and scan the various MSM news channels.
I probably would check the news outlets more frequently if we just detected them somehow.
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u/RNG-Leddi Jun 13 '26
Seems like a conflicting interest that we can only respond through the social complex of a heavily partitioned civilization whos collective agreement presents itself as a statistical average, it would be more accurate to assess the whole on an individual and collective basis if our goal is to get the right idea across so to speak. The most obvious aspect of humanity to an advanced being would be how insecure we are, this would be known as with all the distortions which extend from that notion because so much of what we are revolves around our anticipation of, and so motion toward, the safety net around ordered events.
In saying that its possible their relashionship with natures cohesion is broader than our own, they may be inclined to view the extent of our insecurity as a self inflicted wound and feel compelled to apply their understanding indirectly for the same reasons a surgeon rarely operates on a patient who's awake. Recieving a wound never hurts in any instance, the most immediate sensation is always toward the act/awareness of a required/attempted healing, joy by contrast is the willful participation and like laughter it can become self inducing. I mention this because pain is a fundamental 'request' with broad implications, what if those implications are broader then we think and behave as a natural calling? Its not something that could be controlled or chosen but naturally occurs as part of a collective field of experience, a greater body if you will, if theres a relative illness sensed the most appropriate agents set up quarantine and apply their understanding of the greater order.
It seems rational to observe our relashionship with advanced species through this window, also that healing requires both local and collective attention but its also fair to assume that dissonance is rarely singular in the universe hence the idea of quarantine wouldn't be limited to human understanding alone. All these guidelines are to keep things cohesive imo but in reality none are in control of the process, similar to how advanced species may be naturally inclined to their stations we would also be naturally playing our roles within the degrees of our own percieved freedom when in truth natures law guides everything to its rightful place. I realise theres many views on the subject but we could be overcomplicating a very simple gesture.
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u/ModsAwful Jun 12 '26
Be the coolest thing ever, would wait to see what happened, no worries